I Write Dead People

Didja miss me? OMG, I've been SOOO BUSY. With day job stuff and copy edits on BLOOD KIN, there has been no time to just sit and relax.

Major project got launched on Monday (which is the reason I exited MJ early - really miss you guys!!!) and we've been working late hours throughout the week for post launch stuff.

In the meantime, right before I left for Boston, the copyedits came. Not a ginormous amount of work, but since the book had to be rushed, there were some fixes needed, plus another chapter to be written. I spent most weeknights just skimming through the easy stuff (repeated words, awkward phrasing, clarifying bits), then last night, a 7 hour marathon to finish, as I wrote to the accompaniment of Queen and Sarah McLachlan.

At 3:37 ack emma, file done, spellchecked, emailed and backed up.

I.
AM.
DONE.

::collapses::

The only reason I'm actually up is that my body will not stay asleep past 9:30 a.m., no matter how hard I try. Oh well, there's always time for a nap later.

I'm going to spend my weekend watching movies (Slumdog Millionaire is waiting for me), catching up on my shows and reading. (new Harry Dresden hot on my Kindle!) It's raining, but I don't care, because I'm going to be a sloth.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend, Passover, Easter, etc.

Oh, and, speaking of peeps...the annual diorama.

xposted from my blog

It was in Publisher's Marketplace today, and thanks to a couple of good friends, I found out that the word is now official:

Book deal the fourth:

FICTION: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Maria Lima's untitled fourth book in her Bloodlines series featuring a Texan born and bred whose relatives, an ancient clan of shapeshifters and other paranormals, entangle her in their affairs even as she's embarking on an affair of her own with a seductive vampire valiantly trying to curb his own taste for human blood, to Paula Guran at Juno, by Chris Lotts at Ralph M. Vicinanza (US).

No rest for the wicked...or witless. I spent the weekend working out plot and storylines for book the fourth, with the help of the ever splendid Ms. C. Plus, we managed to (on our trip to and from VA Festival of the Book) come up with 2 new projects we want to pitch as well as a short story. Writers: they get together and words multiply.

I'll be guest blogging on April 18th over at Lori Devoti's Blog during her Full Moon of Werewolves month. It's already started, so don't miss the great posts!

cross-posted from my blog

If you're in the local area (DC metro), I'd love for you to stop by my book launch party tonight.

More details here.

If you're in the DC area and want a signed copy of Blood Bargain, I'd love it if you came by the official book launch party on December 16th.

Location: Matrix Group International, 1033 N Fairfax St. 2nd floor, Alexandria, VA 22314
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

More info here.

RSVP to admin AT matrixgroup.net.

Hope to see some of you there!

xposted from LiveJournal

Amber of Amberakatze's Book Blog interviews me here. If you stop by, you can enter the contest to win a signed copy of Matters of the Blood.

In other news, I've been working on Book 3, now tentatively titled Blood Lines. Intrigue and all sorts of family and other kinds of plotting abound. This is going to be twisty and fun. Many thanks to beledibabe who helped me brainstorm last weekend. She's always so brilliant at this.

Now, I think I'll go back to watch the Two Towers, extended edition.

Happy Sunday, all!

xposted from my livejournal

@ Lori Devoti's blog over the next month.

Today: Interview with yours truly.

Lori plans a full month of goodies, so make sure to tune in every day.

xposted from my livejournal

At least - the book. Just got my author copies of Blood Bargain. w00t!!! 

I'm so doing the happy dance!!!



xposted from my LiveJournal

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.