I Write Dead People

You know that great book budget you're just itching to spend? Why not come down to Creatures'n'Crooks in Richmond and spend it there?

Help us save one of the best indy bookstores around.

More than 100 authors donated prizes that can be won all through the month of January and amazing stuff to be raffled off on the event day itself.

Meet some of your favorites, including yours truly!

Details

The Event: Saturday, January 31st from 1-4. Come for books, sugar-laden treats, and door prizes.

Who’s Involved: In short, over one hundred authors from across the country contributed to the dozen fabulous raffle prizes to be given away on the 31st. This event will be the culmination of a month-long contest in which customers will earn a raffle ticket for every $25 they spend during the month of January. (This includes phone customers). Weekly prizes will also be given away. These prizes will include signed books from authors in the field of mystery, fantasy, horror, nonfiction, and children’s fiction.

The authors attending the January 31st event at the bookstore as of this date are Katherine Neville, Donna Andrews, Ellen Crosby, Maria Lima, Ellen Byerrum, Andy Straka, Joseph Guion, John Gilstrap, Austin S. Camacho, Maggie Stiefvater, and J.B Stanley.

We are also getting contributions from big names in our field, including a vampire basket from Charlaine Harris, a character donation from Margaret Maron, gold and sapphire earrings from Denise Swanson, a Carolyn Hart prize, a culinary basket including goodies from Joanne Fluke, a Tiffany necklace and much, much more.

Information about the benefit is posted on Creatures ‘n Crook’s website as well as the organizer’s website: www.jbstanley.com.

Please help us save this charming Virginia bookstore! Call or stop in today.

xposted on LiveJournal

As brought to you by Mme. Editrix, the incomparable Paula Guran:

Many people--okay, many writers--when faced with the overwhelming success of a fellow writer in their genre, can be heard to grumble discreetly (and often over drinks) on how *they* write better, or Successful!Author just got lucky.

Well, yeah, kind of. Luck is often a huge factor in someone's smashing success. But I always look at it this way, without a well-written work, no matter *how* much luck you have, the smashing part will end up being your career against the pavement, and not of it breaking through.

I bring this up today, because I am so over-the-top excited and happy about the overwhelming wonderful news that I keep hearing about one of my good friends, Charlaine Harris. 

Today, in Locus Online, they report: This week, Harris achieves a record of some sort by ranking all seven titles on New York Times mass market paperback list in the same week -- ranks ranging from #3, for Dead Until Dark, to #19. All seven titles also rank today on Amazon.com; five of them rank today on Amazon Canada's list.

When I read this, I totally squeed...Out Loud. Like a fangrrl. Mostly, because I am.

I've known Charlaine for just over a decade, and met her when her 2nd series (the Lily Bard books) were just starting to hit the market. At the time, Charlaine was struggling to sell Dead Until Dark. No one, not even her agent thought it would sell. But, as luck (or something) would have it, Ace took a chance and the book took off, eventually going into multiple printings.

Now, because of luck (again), Alan Ball's HBO series True Blood has attracted new readers to the books. If it hadn't been for Ball picking up a copy of her book because he needed something to read, this may not have happened. Luck, combined with talent, combined to bring fame, and hopefully fortune, to one of the warmest, most wonderful people I know. 

Am I jealous? Not in the slightest. This type of news just makes me want to hunker down and write. I get so stoked when I hear about a friend's success, I just want to keep writing and continue to be a part of this really cool group. Maybe it's because I love reading genre fiction so much. Maybe it's just because I look on this as a chance for all of us to shine--I don't know. In any case, my morning has started out with great news and I hope the rest of the month continues to bring wonderful news to all my writer friends.

So kudos and congratulations, Charlaine--you absolutely deserve this!

xposted from my journal

It's that time of year again: Banned Books Week.

BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
--- American Library Association

The list of the most challenged books of 2007:

1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence

3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes
Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language

4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
Reasons:  Religious Viewpoint

5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
Reasons:  Racism

6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language,

7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou
Reasons:  Sexually Explicit

9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris
Reasons:  Sex Education, Sexually Explicit

10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons:  Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

Challenge those who challenge our freedom to read. Buy a banned book this week!

_{xposted from my journal}

I've spent the last 5 days in Vancouver, BC, Canada, both to enjoy/celebrate my 50th birthday (today) and to soak up local colour as research for Book 3. The Intahrwebs is a fine and generous place for information, but can't substitute for actually *being* there...experiencing for oneself the sights, sounds and scents of a location.

In addition to the wonderful city locations, we (mom, stepdad, sis and BIL) also drove up and down Vancouver Island, drove up a couple of mountains and let ourselves see/feel/smell nature. Odd thing, though - so far, there've been no smells. None. Not vehicle exhaust, not city stench (yay for that!), not even pine, earth, animal scents in the woods. Very unusual to my lower south nose. I'm guessing because the temperatures here stay so cool, things decompose at a slower rate (which often causes the smells of sea, woods, etc.) I suppose if I were a native woods creature rather than a bumbling human, I'd have more scent to go on.

I'm very glad I've placed Keira's family in BC, as the woods here (and by extrapolation, those up north) are perfect for them. Gorgeous tall trees, loads of underbrush and many places to hunt and hide.

Today is my last day in this wonderful city. I hope to be able to visit again. I could definitely live here. :)

So, book 3 (as yet untitled) is still in the thinky planning stages. Part of it is that I'm waiting for final editorial on Blood Bargain, which may or may not affect things in Book 3. Ah, the woes of an author. ::g::

I've updated my book page to include the cover and ISBN for In the Hunt: Unauthorized Essays on Supernatural, one of the fabulous SmartPop series by Benbella books. My essay, Another Roadside Attraction, The Role of the Trickster in Supernatural will be published in the book (due out March 2009).

I'm very excited about this, as those of you that know me, know how much I enjoy fannish meta. To be able to do this for Benbella was a dream of mine, ever since I read Seven Seasons of Buffy, several years ago. Now, it's coming true!

One update to my schedule: I am *not* going to be at Creatures 'n' Crooks on August 23. Seems I've overbooked myself and had to bow out. I will, however, definitely be at Bouchercon.

I'm hoping to figure out a way to make it to Calgary for World Fantasy this year. I enjoyed myself so much last year, I want to attend. However, 2 trips to Western Canada in as many months might just not work out. Keep your fingers crossed.

On NPR.

50mm heard this on the way to work yesterday. Laura talks about it in her blog.

Srsly, I know the coolest people!

What I'm reading now: So Say We All: An Unauthorized Collection of Thoughts and Opinions on Battlestar Galactica, one of BenBella Books SmartPop series. Fannish meta in published form. So cool. I have a pretty extensive library of this series, and enjoy going back to read them.

As many of you know, a dear friend of mine, Elaine Viets, suffered a stroke recently, right before the tour for her new book, Murder with Reservations. Since she can't tour, her friends are doing it for her. Learn more at her (and my) publicist's site.

Why are we doing this?

Because Elaine is an amazing woman who's given loads of time and assistance to the writing community and we want to give back. Plus, hey, it's a fun series and I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Help show your support by buying a copy of Murder with Reservations or telling your friends.

Thanks for your support!

Well, at least, it's a book.

I have now received my author copies of Matters of the Blood. The actual books should be in the wild within then next couple of weeks or so.

Next event:
Book signing with the Sisters In Crime contingent at Olsson's Crystal City.
7:00 p.m. April 26, 2007

Hope to see folks there!

My buddy, Elaine Viets, says it better than I could in her blog post.

Banned Books week is coming up - so celebrate by buying, reading or recommending one or more of the books that have been banned over the years. More info at the American Library Association site.

I was a lucky kid - my folks never restricted what I read. I grew up in a household full of everything from mystery and suspense, to horror, to the latest schlocky bestsellers (Harold Robbins, anyone?)

I remember reading Robbins' The Adventurers at the ripe old age of eleven. Honestly, I didn't understand a lot of it, but I did enjoy the fact that it was long and took me a while, because most kids' books were short, 45,000 words makes for not much reading time for this chick. I'm an extremely fast reader - at least I used to be, when time wasn't so much a premium.

I could devour two or three books over a weekend, more if I didn't have any other activities planned. A standard kid offering would flash by in an hour or even less. The ability to go to the living room shelves (floor to ceiling and wall to wall) was a blessing. That's where I discovered Sherlock Holmes, Mary Stewart and Bram Stoker. Ian Fleming nestled close to spy thrillers and gothic novels. My fiction reading worlds were as varied and diverse as any public library.

Did reading these adult level books cause me any harm? Not even close. In fact, I attribute my ability to write, to think and to learn to the fact that I was never shackled to a particular type of reading material. I'm a better learner for it. I'm a better writer for having been exposed to a wide variety of fiction writing.

So grab your favorite beverage, get out the reading glasses and pick up a banned book or two and read them yourself, then share them with your children and expose them to all the wonderful worlds that are out there awaiting their discovery.