Where Personal and Professional Life Collide...

okay, in two places.


By now you should know: if it's Friday, there's a new Practical Meerkat! Week 15 talks about hanging out in the bar....

and I am also guest-blogger over at Marianne de Pierres's site, with "How Do You Do It?"


As always, if you leave a comment there, somewhere a fairy gets her claws...



And now, back to the book. *pours more caffeine, dons shop glasses, picks up wielder*

and before I forget, carried off by new book and new bookcase and Much Weather...


there are two new stories hitting the shelves late February/early March (but pre-order now!)!

First, courtesy of THOSE WHO FIGHT MONSTERS, you get "Dusted" - a short story featuring former cop/current PI Danny Hendrickson, who also happens to be half-fatae. This is the 'kickoff" story for the Sylvan Investigations books coming in 2013. Danny also get a lot of play in the 4th PSI novel, SIGHT UNSEEN.


And then there's AFTER HOURS: Tales from the Ur-Bar, which has my story "Paris 21." The dream of glory, Paris 1921, meets an ancient demi-god who likes to meddle.... (you can check out more info if you're on Facebook

I have also updated the Almost Inevitably Incomplete Bibliography

We all know what it's like to escape into a great work of fiction -- but it's quite another leap of pleasure to get lost in a truly exotic, alternate-reality world of an author's unique creation. Critic Glen Weldon trips out on the haunted, vivid landscapes of 2010's best speculative fiction.

Their choices? Oh, Cronin, Bear, Collins... me!

"Gilman is a charming writer, and her main character — the feisty, funny Bonnie Torres, who first appeared in the Retrievers series — benefits from the spotlight she is given here."


To celebrate, I'm going to give away three copies of HARD MAGIC to randomly-chosen posters from the comments below (starting now, ending @ 12:45 Tuesday afternoon. 24 hours to get in!)

The short but nice lovefest from PW has ended: Although the reviewer says WEIGHT OF STONE "will delight fans of the first book and plenty of action sequences keeps things moving" (yay!) s/he also found the characters "self-deprecating," and "the book itself slow-moving."

Negative reviews are the inevitable counterpoint to the positive ones. The reviewer didn't love the book, but neither did s/he hate the book, or call me a hack. I am Zen.

(Okay, I'm actually pouting like a 5 year old. But that will pass and Zen will come.)

The only comment I will make about the review is that yes, Jerzy is self-deprecating. It's up to the reader to decide if that's appropriate for the character or not. For this reviewer, not.


Now I'm going to blow up modern Manhattan something fierce.


EtA: for the record, Zen arrived about 90 minutes after this post. And without booze or chocolate. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for that. Also? I still like this book a lot. I did a good job. That's essential to Zen.

For those who are completists/gluttons for punishment/want to see what I look/sound like coming off a Very Long Work Binge, consider http://bit.ly/dtNHRA, in which I am interviewed by Ron Hogan for Tor.com, and the video makes me wince....


[and yes, I talk as much with my body as my voice. This surprises...anyone?]

before I forget:

Tor.Com has a special Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy program for the Month of July, featuring many notables blogging and talking, including Yrs Truly...

I am informed that it is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June 20-26).

I think a celebration like that should best be observed by reading a book where magic users can "source" off lightning, don't you? Hrm. Where could we find such a book...

Oh wait! I know!


Staying Dead
Hard Magic

So Wednesday morning the phone rings. "Hello, this is Mary Robinette Kowal." And I swear to god, my first thought is "why is Mary (secretary of SFWA) calling, and using her formal voice? No, wait, I'm a lifetime member, I can't be late on my dues..."

And then she (gently) broke the news to me that FLESH AND FIRE: Book 1 of The Vineart War, had made the final Nebula ballot.

And, oh, by the way, don't tell anyone yet*.

*flails*

But now it's official**.

The Nebula Awards, for those new to this game, are the peer-voted awards for writing in the SF/F community, voted on and given by the Science Fiction Writers of America (and International Members). Basically it means your fellow writers thought you did a good job worth noting.****

So to those of you who liked FLESH AND FIRE enough to nominate it, I thank you. To those of you who are not SFWA members but liked the book and would have nominated it if you could, thank you. I am, truly, honored. I don't have half a prayer of actually winning***, but it would be great if we at least made a strong showing in the runner-up category....

And congratulations to my fellow nominees, the nominees in other categories, and you guys duking it out for the Norton and Bradbury awards, too! Go, us!




* I told my editor and my agent. I didn't even tell my mom, mainly 'cause her phone was busy and for once i didn't want to leave it to e-mail/IM
** We'll send out an announcement by Friday, she said. And it will be all over Twitter three seconds after that, I added. And lo, it was.
***I've already placed my bets on who the winner will be, but hey, if it wasn't a horse race the horses wouldn't run, right?
****And since I'm starting Serious Work on the revisions for Book 2, this was a really nice and much-needed pat on the back and reassurance that I'm Doin' it Write.

An interview w/ me is up at Temple Library Reviews.

Also: it is 20 degrees colder right now than it was yesterday at this time. Also, windy as hell. Winter's back.