lagilman: coffee or die (editor kitteh)
SILVER ON THE ROAD is off to the copyeditor (eeep) and is being over-read for horse and tribal neep as well, to ensure that I only make the most embarrassing mistakes everyone else also missed...

Meanwhile, I'm closing in on the 10% mark of Book #2: "There was something his charge wasn’t telling him, her thoughts wrapped tight inside her head, those sharp eyes clouded in a way they hadn’t been just that morning. Gabriel was too tired to dig at it tonight, though. And, he had discovered, Isobel was a sensible girl: she would come to him in her own time. Or leave him an opening to walk through, when she was ready."

And, in other book-news, the first pass proofs for CLAWED just hit.  So I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend...

In convention news... Who (finally) remembered to sign and return her letter of Agreement and is going to DragonCon?  This meerkat!

And the fifth update is about the cats, of course.  Am pleased to say that CatofSize seems to have completely recovered from his illness of the week previous.  We still have to run the next glucose curve to see how it's working, but he's been lively and affectionate as a kitten, with the appetite of same.  And no digestive difficulties.  Yay!
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1.  Reminder if you missed the earlier announcements: the #‎willwrite2feedothers story for 2015 went live! (but will only remain live for a limited time, so read now!)

2. A sporting thing happened here in town.  There was much swearing and sweating and triumphant heart attack honking and cheering.  If I'd had an actual emotional attachment to this team it would have been exceptionally painful. Now the Hawks will be facing the Pats in the Superbowl, and I do have emotional attachment - hatred. Go Hawks!

3. I helped a friend move to her new condo, and rediscovered that yes, if you spend all day hauling boxes and furniture, your arms WILL be sore the next morning.

4.  SILVER is done with revisions, and off into production (or will be once Joe is back in the office).  A very long haul to get us to this point.  Now all I can do is stress.  Oh, and get back to writing book #2....  Izzy is being annoyingly calm, if egotistical, during this current crisis. That's like waving a red flag at a writer....

“What was that about?” Isobel asked, coming up on the other side of the mule, looking at him curiously. Her hair was braided, the single plait flipped over her shoulder, but wisps of it had already escaped, framing her face. Her skin was sun-browned, despite the brimmed hat hanging from a leather thong down her back, and the clear dark eyes that looked back at him over the mule’s back were not the eyes of the girl he had met only months before in a crowded, noisy saloon.

“He was telling us not to die.”

“Oh.” She thought about that, her expression serious. “Good advice.”


5. The meerkat minion t-shirts have all shipped!  If you backed a t-shirt level and haven't gotten yours yet, PLEASE let me know!
lagilman: coffee or die (editor kitteh)
Things researched: buzzard vs vulture, the weight of a saddle, sleepwalking, bison maturity.

Favorite bit written: She couldn’t promise any more, not faithfully. But as the words left her mouth, one of the buzzards lifted its head and swiveled its neck to look directly at her, and the cold sting in her palm faded.

Whoops: escarpment is not the same thing as an encampment.

New words written: 1750

Clients dealt with: two  (one finishing up, one beginning)


And now I am going to be a post-NYE slug on a Friday night and curl up with the cats, a plate of pasta, a glass of wine, and the DVDs of NERO WOLFE (the Tim Hutton version).  Which, BTW, is TOTALLY research.
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1. Tahini and popcorn. No, really. Okay, it's a little messy, but it's tasty, and healthy (tahini is a good source of calcium, iron and Vitamin E, among others). Just drizzle a tablespoonful over a bowl of air-popped popcorn, let it set a few minutes, and munch!

2. Second pass draft work always, as I said elsewhere, reminds me of tap-dancing on needles, while someone yells at you to go faster. But progress is progressing on SILVER ON THE ROAD, and the first 16 chapters are much stronger and tighter, now. Hopefully there will be time for a third pass before I have to send it off to Agent and Editor. Hopefully.

3. We're getting into the "oh god I need to be promoting the new book" stage for DOGHOUSE (out in July). Save me some agita and just pre-order it now? Amazon BN Amazon UK Powells and your favorite indie store...

4. CatofSize's neuropathy isn't showing the improvement we hoped for (and it seems to get worse when I go away) but he's otherwise in good spirits, and keeping that upstart Kitten in his place...

5. I make damn good chili. Just observing that fact, as I breathe fire and sigh contentedly.
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1.  You know you're in introvert hibernation mode when the thought of ordering take-away over the phone is overwhelming. "No talking to people! No! Why aren't you on Seamless or GrubHub?"  I need a "bat signal" so I could turn it on and they'd know to have my gyro ready for me.... (there was a point when I'd walk in the door of my local Greek hole-in-the-wall and they'd call out my order before I said anything. So a bat signal isn't THAT far off...)

2. This morning, the sky was dark, and I turned away; turned around again and was ambushed by sunrise: a splay of hot pinks and purples that lasted only a minute or two before blue-gray and orange took over.

3.  In related-to-#1 news, I have had baklava and coffee for breakfast. Today will be ALL about the sugar high and ZOOOOMZ.

4.  SILVER ON THE ROAD is really starting to come together for me.  Of course, it's doing that some 80,000 words in, which means I'll be turning around and starting the first rewrite with some Significant Work to do on the first half.

(some of which my lovely beta-readers are giving me, with their notes. Dear Lovely Betareaders, I'm sorry for what I made you plow through in section 2...I promise, you'll see where it all starts to come together at the end...)

5. TAGGED is still being a bit balky, but after three books in the series I can feel the rough spots before I hit them, and know how to fix them when they appear.

(As I said on Twitter earlier this week, writing the first book in a series is the easiest, and the hardest thing to do. Writing the last* book in a series is the hardest...and also the easiest.)




*I don't know that this will be the last G&T book. But it is the last one currently under contract. Sales and pre-orders could make all the difference on them buying #5....
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1. A cat story.

So Castiel Kitten of Thursday likes to sit in the window seat behind my desk and do his “heyyyyyyy heyyyyy heyyyyy” meow (imagine a very cute rusty gate). And then when I turn my chair around and look at him he stops, stares at me in confusion like OMG you’re looking at me what!, and then starts purring like “hi I’m sorry please don’t be mad oh god I’m babbling” exactly the way fans do if we accidentally run into the object of our fannishness…

Dorkiest. Cat. Ever.

2. A book rec.

Many (many) years ago, baby-editor-I-was made an offer on a book I loved, Kathi Kimbriel's NIGHT CALLS. Sadly, the agent and author took another house's offer. But my love for the book has stood the test of time, and this morning I get to tell y'all that it's back in print! (Amazon only, for now)

(the second book is also available, ebook only for now)

3. The inevitable Kickstarter update/reminder.

Invested writer is invested: I've started writing WORK OF HUNTERS, well before there's any sane reason to (we're 50% funded so far, which is Really Good, but not yet There). And yet... Danny is a noisy bastard, and while Ellen's quieter, she's just as insistent. We start with a dangerous dame, some magic, and a corpse... (UF noir FTW!).  Also, although the chance to die has been taken, you can still grab the chance to dedicate a novella to someone!

4. SugarCat update.

He has started to be grumpy about his morning shots.  Less so his evening ones, although I suspect that's coming.  My fault for sticking him that one time, but it's getting harder to find a bit of loose skin.  :-(  I suspect he's inflating himself, although that's counterproductive to this not hurting.... (try explaining that to cats.  Can't be done).  Will have to up the intensity of the food-distractions...

5.  Weather report.

From "hey, this is kinda mild" to "oh hai lotsa snow coming" this afternoon, and back into the freezer for a few days.  But not the bone-chilling, life-threatening lack-of-heat we had earlier in the month, so that's okay.  Or at least, seasonable and location-appropriate. We'll be under the sofa-blanket, working, if anyone needs us....
lagilman: coffee or die (meerkat coffee)
Weekend Catchup:

There's an Open Thread going on downstream - Ask Away!
January's Convention Schedule

As some of you may know/have heard, the weather in these parts has been pretty but ugly - not quite so bad as out in Illinois and Minnesota, but pretty damn cold. I've been using the stairs to exercise on (it's too cold and too icy to safely go outside) but I'm still twitchy as hell.

While curled up on the sofa, I've been doing that mainlining-tv-series-on-Netflix thing - most recently Ripper Street.  I'm just about through the first season, and while it's extremely good, I think I may enjoy my historical crime drama more in print form than visual. Need to think about why that is. I also rewatched GHOSTBUSTERS, which holds up pretty damn well.

I have not yet seen Sherlock (either ep) but people failing to tag on Tumblr have pretty much spoiled me for it.  Fortunately, I don't love the show for the plot twists, just the Feels.

I need to cut back on the obsessive binge tv watching, though - today the full workload kicks in: multiple projects, multiple deadlines.  It's going to be a busy-as-hell year (particularly now through July). Revising DOGHOUSE (G&T #3), promoting the new Kickstarter (more on that soon), working on the Can't Talk About It Yet Project.... this morning, I'm digging into the opening chapters of TAGGED (Gin & Tonic #4).

He’d worked all kind of places over the years, from trendy clubs to dives, and Mary’s was his favorite - a neighborhood joint, warm but not flashy, where you took someone you’d already kissed, and liked kissing, and planned to kiss again.

Oh hai characters, I've missed you!
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1.

I am interviewed over at Book View Cafe


2.

The truth is, sometimes you think you know your theme, you think you know the driving motif, the point you’re trying to make, and then you get to the end and it’s all “holy shit I made that. what the hell is that?”
Because the best storytelling takes on a life of its own past “once upon a time there was…” and you never really know what happens in the fifth chapter until you get there.

Damnit.


3. In slightly related news:

Gish_Diploma

I am not unreasonably proud of this.
Next year may be even more insane, since I plan to NOT be doing a 4 city whistlestop tour during it...  (those may be FLW, who knows)
lagilman: coffee or die (meerkat coffee)
We have established that I am not a Summer Person, right?  If I wanted to live in a sauna I would have relocated south of DC?  Right.  Moving on.

Suggested new points of order, based on conversations over the weekend:

1. Before offering advice in response to a post or comment, first consider: is the speaker over the age of 25? Are they in possession of a functional, not to say trained mind? Might they probably have already considered possible solutions to their issue before mentioning it? If the answer is yes, rethink offering your advice.

(the above is negated if you are their mother, father, or agent)

2. If you see a problem forming in a social setting, cut it off at the knees (either by intervention or deflection) before it becomes an actual problem. Defusing a bomb should be more highly valued than trying to pick up the shrapnel after the fact.

3. Life's too short, grim, and otherwise often unpleasant not to take joy in the small, silly things. Don't let your "dignity" get in the way of laughter. Or, as the late, great Dr Major Sydney Freedman twice said, "Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice - pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

In other news, Pandora goes back to the vet (hopefully this week) for X-rays.  I really don't have the emotional bandwidth to talk about that further, right now.

This week is Canada Day (Happy Canada Day, Canadians!) and Independence Day.  I'm hauling out of the city for the first time in years, and so will miss the NYC fireworks.  The lure of ocean air will make up for that, though, I suspect.

And then up to the Boston area for a long weekend.  I'm looking forward to that, too.

How are you spending your national holiday, if your nation-of-choice is celebrating one this week?
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1.  This weekend has mostly been me lazing about, and doing bits of things that need doing. Rather boring to blog about.  Except signing the contracts (finally!) for Gin & Tonic #3 & #4.  That's always exciting.

2.  Today is father's day. As I said elsewhere in the socialsphere, I'm thankful that I don't need a special day to remind me to be glad I have a dad who is smart, sane, loving & funny. And also eye-rollingly stubborn, often irritating and intentionally infuriating. But that, as someone said, is pretty much a dad's job. :-)

3.  A project that was supposed to be wrapped up last week has been put into limbo because of Other People, and I lost out on another freelance gig due to Project A not being wrapped up yet.  I'm trying to be philosophical about this...

4.  Last month I was challenged to write a story in a new-to-me subgenre, for a not-yet-open-to-submissions anthology. I was dubious - most of what's popular in that sub-genre isn't my thing. But the editor seemed convinced that yes, they really wanted to see my take on it.

So this weekend I printed out what I have of the story and started going over it.  Blending my quirks w/ its structure... yeah. And this isn't a topic I'm comfortable writing the surface of - there's going to be some deep bruising here, and pulling my own gut feelings into the ink. And a lot of thinking in-between the words.

This is how you grow, as a writer. Growing hurts.

5. Meanwhile, I was feeling a little out-of-sorts for no particular reason, so I decided to combine exercise with a treat, and walked down to the local high-end market for something sweet (they have the best selection of quality chocolate, as well as real halvah).  I came home with:  salmon bits, raw almonds, and pesto.  I was sort of bemused at myself (dude, none of those are sweets) when I realized that what they all ARE are chemical Mood Improvers.  My subconscious is once again smarter than the rest of me.

(I kind of regret bypassing those macaroons, though.)




originally published at writer. editor. tired person You may comment here or there.
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
When I spend All Day at the Office & then come home late, the housecats are Seriously Affectionate, each in their own way.... For Boomer, that involves trying to eat my hair and head-butting.  Oaf.  But it makes me wonder why cats and horses seem to think eating hair (not grooming, EATING) is a sign of affection.  Should I be switching shampoo?

After several days among people, and a convention looming, and more interaction on the month's horizon,  I am starting to develop that Introvert's Twitch, the one that says "I like you a lot but please stand over there and don't talk to me?"  There are several friends who have perfected that art: alas, most of them are Not in NYC.

Due to scheduling issues (not mine) I'm juggling four different major projects this week.  Two is optimal, three is manageable, four makes me cranky.  The smaller projects are huddled in the corner, waiting their turn.  Apologies to anyone waiting on one of those smaller/non-time-sensitive things...

My brain is utterly in mystery mode right now, not fantasy. Good, because I'm writing a mystery. Bad, because I'm also revising a fantasy.

Writing mysteries is actually both weirder and calmer for me: there's less fannish connection, less chatter in my daily life, so I'm not distracted from the Story by the Community. This is partially because I was a reader rather than a Fan of mysteries and so not hooked into that community the same way, and partially because there seems to be less online "noise"  for mysteries the way there is F/SF.  Pluses and minuses to both.


and now I have to go away and juggle some more.  Feel free to use this thread to ask me anything.  I reserve the right not to answer (or to lie like a rug if provoked/inspired) but I'll try to get to all questions...
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1) Did you see my happy cover reveals for HEART OF BRIAR and SOUL OF FIRE?  If not, checkit! http://www.lauraannegilman.net/first-look-heart-of-briar-and-soul-of-fire/

2) The Skiffy Internet is in an uproar because some white male readers got ewwwww!cooties from all the females and non-whites (and non-white females!) on the Nebula ballot.  All I can say is: cootie-fearing fandom, grow the FUCK up already. And if you can't, then stay in your own cootie-free playpens and leave the adults alone.  Sometimes there are more guys than women on the ballot(s).  Sometimes there are more women than men. Genders and nationalities and skin tones shift.  This?  Is all GOOD. It means we have a vibrant and expanding genre with lots of good work to choose from.  If you think this is something to moan about, please see above re: playpens.

3. There are a lot of new books out from Book View Cafe this week! Go checkit.

4. 2013, in addition to being the year of Being Really Damn Busy, is also the year I let myself work ALL the hours... M-F.  And very few hours S-S.  So far, this is... working extremely well. Workaholicism With Limits.  It's the hot new religion cult philosophy.


Status Report:

Today I: wrote 2k words. Edited someone else's story. Signed on for a long-term freelance project. Mended a coat.

All four of those things filled me with the same level of competent accomplishment. Or accomplished competence. Whatever.


The daily darling:

The boss never forbade them anything stronger, but Marie frowned on the girls drinking while they were working, saying men could make themselves foolish, but a woman never should.

lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
Morning:  I did the Stevia-in-my-coffee test again this morning. Nope. It still tastes like metal shavings on my tongue, and weirdly makes everything taste more bitter, not sweeter. Bleah.  Clearly, my body does. Not. Want.  (and looking around, there seem to be some studies suggesting that Stevia can mess with insulin sensitivity and hypoglycemia.  Yeah.  My body knows what it's talking about.  Oh well.  Back to raw sugar for me.)

I have now tried every available sugar substitute, both "natural" and un, and found them all to be sadly lacking. Do you people just get used to the taste?  Or do you not notice it?  Because, ugh - half an hour later and my tongue was still unhappy.


Midday: Today started off with irritation (too many people being reactive rather than proactive, and I'm tired of having to use the damn poking-stick) and has segued into painful WTFkery on the spectator level. Is there something even more than Merc Retro going around?  And if so, how long do I have to hide under my bed before it will go away?  At least the book is behaving... (at the moment.  who knows about tomorrow)

Afternoon:  On the plus side: today also brought us NASA geeking in prime geek manner over Seriously People There's Water/Ice on Mercury! The press conference was fascinating to listen to...  Also, NASA seems set blowing the geek-nerd scientists are unattractive" myth out of the water.  I'm just sayin...  Or maybe I go for well-groomed geek.  This is entirely possible.

Evening: At dinner tonight with friends, the check came.. and the starters had been left off.  We hailed the waiter to tell him, only to be informed that it had been deliberate.  "You're a regular, a VIP," the waiter said to my friend (who had made the reservation). So they thanked us for our support in a small (to them) but significant (to us) way.
Mind, we go there because the food and service are excellent, and the place is packed enough that they don't need to "woo" people.  But knowing that they appreciate us as much as we enjoy them is a lovely plus, and the sign of good management.

Late Night: Yes, it takes me longer to get home using mass transit than it would if I drove.  But there is something soothing about walking to the subway, then being able to read (or listen to music, or knit, or do all the things people enjoy doing) for 45 minutes to an hour - time that I'm not being poked or prodded by the Must Dos, or irritated by the Hurry Ups. And less traffic, fewer parking woes, and no worries about having had alcohol with dinner.  I will never understand why some cities/towns resist building a mass transit infrastructure.... 

(and I say this as a suburbs-raised child who wholeheartedly embraced car culture - and still misses her beloved car occasionally.)

And now I am OMG tired, and need to go to bed by 11 like an old lady.  *shakes cane*
lagilman: coffee or die (meerkat coffee)
Good morning, world. I hope that your Monday started better than mine (with an email saying, basically, "um, I know we go live in 24, but there are A Few Problems in the File..."). Nothing like seeing that at 6:05 AM to make you double the amount of coffee you're making.

The Do Board is brief but fierce today. And the window of "I need to hear by" for several projects has started to close. If Merc is still retro, it should get the hell in line ASAP, because I do not need any more communication screwups, thank you very much.

Reminder: the Thanksgiving-for-Readers contest has been extended until Sunday (to allow those of you who were traveling for the holiday time to get your entries in).

Reminder: if you're giving copies of my books as gifts this season, let me know, and I can personalize/send a bookplate! (no charge to you).

And, because it wouldn't be me on a Monday without a small grumble...

Friend: "oh my god, did you hear about [insert financial news]?"
Me: "yeah, [insert business news neepery]"
Friend: "How do you know all this?"
Me: "Because I've been paying attention for the past twenty years?"

I may be slightly annoyed at people who are only now discovering things like how finance charges work, or that companies buy and sell bits of each other on a regular basis...guys, I have only a layperson's knowledge of this, but seriously.. once you're past 30, it's a bit late in the game to be playing wide-eyed innocent at OMG the business world. ESPECIALLY if you aren't inherently wealthy, pun intended.


lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
1. L'Shana tovah to all, even if you don't celebrate - may the next 12 (lunar) months be full of joy, peace, and good-health.

2. Bits and pieces of things accomplished today, but most important: "Promises to Keep" (the follow-up to "Miles to Go") officially started! Opening lines: “Hey boss. Coffee maker’s broken.”

3. My shoulder has decided to make like b'fast cereal (snap crackle & pop). And my previous massage therapist has left the area. I'd ask my local folk for recs, but I suspect they'd give me names in Brooklyn, and spending an hour on the subway is NOT the way to maintaining that post-massage calm... Meanwhile, I ice and wince and try to NOT use my right arm. Yeah, good luck with that....

4. Today is the one-year anniversary of OWS. The fact that we're still fighting to be heard over the Corporate Money is... sad. But there have been changes over the past year, too. And people aren't going to sit down or shut up any time soon - the more citizens told to be good little sheep, the more we channel our inner sheepdog, instead. Wolves, beware.

5. I owe people a Gilman Quarterly. in fact, I owe people TWO Gilman Quarterlies. I should write it all up and send it out, shouldn't I? Yeah. Along with everything else.... (see #3 for part of the reason why it's all delayed)

(and a bonus, reposted from FB):

You know what would make me believe in God? A worldwide visitation of the faithful by all incarnations, saying "humanity, cut that out. If I want someone smited I will do it Myself."

Then? I'd be "okay, God, you got me."

Until then? It's just people being assholes in the name of "mine's exactly the same as yours, only better."
lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
1. The winner of last week's Book-A-Week contest is: youkai_girl
And that concludes this summer's "Book-A-Week" Giveaway contest.  I will wait until September first for everyone to claim their books.  Any books left unclaimed at that point will be thrown back into the hopper, and a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks for playing, and I hope y'all found some new goodies to stash on your shelf.

2.  Starting Monday morning with a funeral is one way to ensure that the rest of the week's problems won't seem so dire.  But I don't recommend it at all.

3.  I'm pretty sure that last night's Leverage episode gave me flashbacks to the 1970's. I will never forgive them for that. Well-played, cast and crew.  Also: they managed to mess with one of my favorite American myths without trashing it too badly, mainly by making it the vehicle for the story rather than the story itself.

4.  It looks like Ms. Kornetsky will be having a launch party for COLLARED (A Gin & Tonic Investigation) in Seattle this coming November.  Announcements will go out when we have a time and a place confirmed.

5.  I'm having a lot of trouble believing that  WorldCon is in three days.  And that I'm heading out to Chicago in two days.  Ack.  I should do some laundry.  And print out my schedule.  And confirm how I'm getting from the airport to my pre-convention domicille....


and a bonus, of dubious value:

Chekhov's Gun Theory
: "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. "    
    Gilman's addendum: "But that does not mean it needs to be the murder weapon."
lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
1. The advantage of working your ass off on Monday is that Tuesday doesn't seem so bad..... I still got a significant amount of work done today (1k on a Project to Be Submitted Later, and 3K on the Book to Be Written Now), and some client editing, but there wasn't the sense of OMG Ack WORK! that drove me yesterday. I will probably be back to OMGACK tomorrow. Or at least, Thursday. Timewise I should not have been working on the PtbSL, but books will out when they out (see: Thing #3)

2. Analyzing your alcohol consumption is an interesting thing. I started doing this years ago when I was going through my divorce, was feeling incredibly depressed and alone, and knew it would be too easy to rely on booze to get through. So when I thought "I want..." my next thought was "why do I want?" Periodically I pull that out and dust it off, just to gauge my own reactions. "Why do I want?" There are all sorts of answers, from "I want a buzz" to "this is the taste sensation that my body wants" and none of them are bad answers in an of themselves. And sometimes, the answer is "you know, I really don't." Which is, I admit, reassuring. When you want, but don't need...

(I suspect that dieters use something similar to this, when readjusting their relationship to food?)

3. The mind of a writer is a dark, simmering junkyard of Stuff, and it runs 24/7. While I'm working on TWO novels, and shaping the plot of a third in my mind, there's also this weird undercurrent developing the character of a fourth, where I'm constantly evaluating and adapting her body modifications, and considering the muscular and social implications therein. Even during my exercise routines, part of me is considering how she would handle something, and what the caloric cost would be, etc. Yay worldbuilding, on a totally brainstem level.

4. Speaking of exercise, I've made an interesting discovery: jumping rope seems to do amazing things for the tensor muscles - I'm getting definition there I haven't seen since I was riding regularly. All in my continued effort to not suffer from lower back or hip pain as I get older... and, y'know, still be able to rock the 4" heels. :-)

5. This weekend, I head up to Boston to see Springsteen with my tour-companion AS. This trip is particularly special though, because my eldest sister and her husband are going, too. I've never tailgated with my sister before - hell, we've never even gone to the same concert before, unless you count Tanglewoods. So this is an unlooked-for moment of sibling bonding.

(we don't have tix in the same section... there may be bragging rights, depending on who outseated whom. Because, y'know...siblings. *g*)
lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
First, the promo/egoboo:

1. "As much admiration as I have for Gilman’s world building and narrative style, I can’t emphasize enough how her characters always manage to sneak into my heart." All Things Urban Fantasy weighs in on DRAGON JUSTICE

2. Inside of a Dog also liked DRAGON JUSTICE! "This fourth adventure in the Paranormal Scenes Investigation series had all the thrills and adventure that is the series' trademark."

woo! And the book should start appearing on shelves next week, actual day depending on your local retailer...

The weird stuff:

3. I had a very odd dream last night, about buying an old house, possibly back in New Haven, and slowly discovering there was a possibly ghostly backstory nobody had warned me about... The odd thing was how very little anyone seemed to _care_ about the possible ghost, or the fate of the people who'd left the house so quickly, previously.

Also: what was up with there being two sets of Euro-style washers/dryers in the laundry? Plus the tenant (who I also hadn't been told about) who had to get to his apartment via the front (private) lobby?

The unlikely but hey, won't know until you try stuff:

4. If anyone was wondering what to get me for my birthday - one of these, in dark green, please. Ooo and also, la la! Yes, I live in NYC. Yes, I know it's impractical But if one must drive, drive WELL. I miss my old Audi some days.

The closing stuff:

5. We have been given a very pretty day, with just the right temps, and I have a nice combination of work and socializing to get me through to Monday. I can do this. *looks at workload* Probably.

What do you all have on tap for the weekend?
lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
Despite the fact that we're about to hit another patch of 95+ degree days. My editors would understand if I bugged out of the office for the shore, right?
---------------------------------

For those who've signed up for Daily Science Fiction, my story "The Cost" should be in your mailboxes. The rest of you will have to wait a few weeks until it's up on the DSF website)

I'm quite curious about the reaction to this one....


Meanwhile, some new(ish) blogger-reviews for DRAGON JUSTICE (plus the chance to win a copy!)


and you can enter-to-win at Fangs, Wands, & Fairy Dust!

And another blogger (not a reviewer) utterly put me to the blush, earlier this week. And I do not blush easily. Thank you, Unnamed Blogger, especially for the "bullshit-intolerant" line. It's not always my most socially acceptable feature, but I'm kinda proud of it.

Oh, and I have handed in a short story for an upcoming blog feature. Yes, this is the ghost story I was talking about this weekend. Yes, you'll be able to read it...but not until August 10th. Which also happens to be my dad's birthday. Happy birthday, dad. :-D


...and yes, there will be another Book Giveaway coming later today, along with naming last week's winner...stay tuned!
lagilman: coffee or die (puppyface)
1. Going over the copyedit for DRAGON JUSTICE (PSI #4), and I just realized that the bonus Cosa Nostradamus story will be Rorani's story.

For those of you new to the Cosa, this is a description of Rorani, a dryad, from DRAGON JUSTICE:

"If the fatae in New York had any leader at all, or one soul they would listen to without hesitation, it was Rorani. Her willowy green-and-brown presence could stop a bar fight in progress, halt a bellow mid-sound, and make edged weapons disappear as though they’d been magicked into fog."

We learn a bit more about her in DRAGON JUSTICE, just a hint, but suddenly a door blew open and I KNEW the story she has to tell. *goes all wide-eyed and ooooooooo*

Reminder: $9 gets you two novellas! $40 gets you all that, plus the above-referenced story, and Other neat Stuff! Support now! Support Often!

2. The "get out of bed and move your body for 20 minutes" exercise plan seems to be working. Rather than hauling myself to the gym (which ate 90 minutes out of my day) I get out and walk/jog, or do yoga, or do basic weights at home, and rather than three-times-a-week-reluctantly, I'm going it 5-6 times a week without fail. Mostly the same results, less time used, and my energy levels are high most of the week. Win!

3. Yesterday, I got hit with two copyedits. Both - originally - due for a three-day turnaround. I am perfectly capable of doing a 3 day turnaround for ONE copyedit. Two? Oh so very much not. And so everything else is getting tabled for a few days, and I apologize if I owe you something - I'll be back on schedule by Monday, please dog and the manuscripts don't rise.

4. I had hoped that the (expensive, organic) hull-less popcorn would solve my issues with my favorite lo-cal snack. It.... reduced the problem. I suppose paying more and eating less is a viable way to keep it in the pantry.... (I love air-popped popcorn. A lot.)

5. Did you know that the atheistic exclamation "mother of dog" translates into "son of a bitch?" Ok, I'm a little punchy, but that both cracked me up and consider the actual existence of a god - with a healthy sense of humor.

Profile

lagilman: coffee or die (Default)
Laura Anne Gilman

September 2018

S M T W T F S
      1
234 5678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30      

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 30th, 2025 01:56 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios