Random Update

Because, once again I haven’t blogged in over a month.

 

The BIG…HUGE…GINORMOUS Announcement!

At long last I can FINALLY tell you. I’ve known about this for nearly TWO months, but because things needed to be coordinated, and the holidays happened, it’s had to wait until now.

Are you ready?

Sure?

No, really.  Are you ready??

Wait, is that the phone I hear ringing…..

……..

Oh, okay fine.

MY BOOK HAS SOLD!!!

A Curse of Ash and Iron (the manuscript formerly known as Smoke & Mirrors)  has been bought by Strange Chemistry Books.

They are a UK publisher and the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books.  I spoke with the amazing and adorable Amanda Rutter, who is my editor, on the phone a few days ago, and I am SO VERY excited to be working with SCB. When it releases, the book will come out in the UK as well as North America (and I think Australia too, but I have to check on that).

It will be in print, ebook, and audio book! I’ve never had one of my books made into audio.

Thanks so much to my amazing, awesome, and alliterative agent, Jordy Albert. I couldn’t have done it without her!

A CURSE OF ASH AND IRON will be released in July 2014.

Yes, that says JULY. The book will be released into the world in JULY.

Wait?? JULY???

So much to do! Things to plan, things to make, things to buy. Dresses! I need Victorian clothing! Stat!

 

A year ago…

One year ago today,  there was a torrential rain. I chose a different way to work.  I ended up in a car accident. It wasn’t bad, except for my car.

But I ended up with a new car that I love.

Today I’m just thinking about how a simple 365 days can change A LOT of things.

 

A lot.

Ode to a Faithful Car (and a lesson about choices)

Last Wednesday was miserable. It was pouring rain all night. Such a storm that a girl who was driving drunk smashed into a telephone pole down the street and took out my power. (She was okay)

I got up to a downpour (with power restored) and got myself together, which these days takes a little longer, since I have a couple of extra chores for awhile. My husband had abdominal surgery almost two weeks ago and can’t really bend or lift anything. So I was out the door on time, remembering everything, which for me last week was an accomplishment.

I decided to take a different route to work, because of the rain and the traffic. I made another choice to stay straight instead of taking a left hand turn. I went to an intersection that stinks on a good day and tried to make a left hand turn.

I got hit by a pickup truck.

The whole thing seems pretty surreal. If I had not gone a different way or if I had taken the left earlier, I probably would not have had the accident. Deliberate choices that led me to a specific point in time. I wasn’t trying to beat the guy or rush out into traffic or anything, I just didn’t see him. If I had written this bit in a manuscript, people would tell me its too coincidental. Life happens that way sometimes.

Yeah, it hurt, but I’m okay. Nothing broken but the car, and that upset me enough. I loved my car. It was the newest car I’d ever owned, the first car I bought all by myself.

I was diligent in keeping it clean, no food and no drink but water in the car. I had 18 payments left.  It was good on gas and reliable. My mechanic loved how easy it was to maintain. And, I discovered, it was safe. The airbags did their job, and the damage to the truck, they tell me, was extensive. My car didn’t look so bad…

but the insurance company totaled it. Goodbye, little car. You were great.

Now, if you’ve known me for any amount of time, I believe things happen for a reason. You can’t always get what you want, you get what you need. I have no idea the reason for this, except to make me have to go to court and pay fines and test out my insurance company (they have been great).  But… now I need a new car. And I got to go car shopping. I was sad to have to do it, but since there was no other choice, I put it in my mind that it had to be done.

And now I have, this…

It’s the same make and model of car I had, but newer, with upgrades and new features. I drove about four different cars, looked at even more, before I decided on this one. I am picky about my car. I want a used car that looks and drives as close to new as possible. This was the one that spoke to me as I was driving– as well as the one in the best shape inside and with the lowest mileage ( c’mon, I’m not that much of a girl, I know how to car shop). It was a great price and I am in love with it already.

And it’s RED. I have never owned a red car. Son, who went with me, approves.

So maybe there was some reason for me to have an accident and have to buy a new car. THIS car. Because apparently it has kind of an interesting history (it was a rental, then someone bought it, but owned it just over a month before he or she sold it again, which makes me wonder what happened in their life that they gave it up) and had just arrived at the dealership, like, three days ago. So who knows.

Old car, you were great and served me well. I’m sorry for how it all turned out. New car…I love you!

Being Artsy-Fartsy

I have discovered that most people I know who write, also do other creative things. Some paint or draw. Some sew. Some make music. Having a second (or third) creative outlet seems to be the rule of authors rather than the exception, which is interesting.

Among other things. I’ve done a lot of ‘crafty’ things in my life — when I had time and space, I would sew. Yes, I can sew. When I was younger, I did embroidery. I have crocheted (taught myself with instructions on the interwebz), and made candles, and sculpted with clay (not always with success).

Currently my thing is making beaded jewelry. It is fun, and easy, and I am addicted to shiny, sparkly beads. SHINY!  SPARKLY! I make more than I could ever wear–not that I wouldn’t try–and I did have some success selling it at a craft show, and to co-workers, so last week I got out a catalog and placed a LARGE order for beads and findings.  Large.

And…I relaunched my Etsy shop. There are a few things up there now, and as soon as my order comes in (TODAY! YAY!) I get it sorted, I will have more.  Mostly bracelets and earrings and matching sets. Nothing fancy or made of sterling silver, just simple and fun pieces that aren’t expensive. I plan to make some Steampunk pieces and maybe get back to making clay charms for bracelets and earrings later on in the year.

Now, I’m not doing this just for creative outlet. I would LIKE to make some money :). So if you happen so see a piece you like, buy it? If you want something in a certain color or theme, let me know, I do custom work. Share the link with friends you think are interested. I would appreciate it!

You guys rock.

 

 

 

My Christmas Tree and Black Friday

My Christmas tree was up the day before Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know, it was a bit early. I have an artificial tree, and have had one for years. When I was younger, we always had real. It was nice, but when I had a house of my own, I realized all the reasons I like artificial trees. Overall, they’re less expensive. I mean, sure, you spend $200 up front, but if you have it for 10 years, that’s $20 a year. Can’t beat that. There’s no holes in the branches to worry about, it always looks great, no watering, and NO NEEDLES to vacuum. My sister thinks it’s sacrilege to have a fake tree. But mine’s up and I get to enjoy it for then entire holiday season.

Yes I usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving to put it up. But this year I needed to buy a new tree, and so I wanted to make sure all the lights worked before the holiday.  Because there was no way I was going to try and exchange it during Black Friday weekend.

I used to shop on Black Friday. Waking at 3 am, getting to one store by 4, shopping for an hour and then heading to the next store opening. It was fun. I never wanted any of the really crazy things people camp out for (and really, camping out for a week to save $100 on a TV? Nuts. But maybe they think that’s fun. I digress.) But I usually got good deals and lots of presents and enjoyed myself.

This year, and I’m sorry, but they’ve sucked all the fun right out of it. Opening on Thanksgiving?? That, to me, is ridiculous. There was a whole lot of hullaballoo about the workers having to work the day. Hey, you’re in retail. You work on holidays sometimes. Not my issue. MY issue is that now the focus of Thanksgiving is becoming just a speedbump on the way to holiday consumerism. We’re skimming over all that Thanksgiving is supposed to mean, and focusing more on buying ‘stuff’.

I am all for presents at Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Saturnalia. I enjoy the spirit of giving. But it seems to me that these greedy corporations are shoving the holiday down our throats earlier every year, and now ON THANKSGIVING.

I thought the holidays were supposed to be about peace on earth, good will toward men, being thankful.

Guess not.

 

 

Checking in

I have been running for what seems like forever. I have stuff to talk about but no time to do it. I had a great time at Balticon and sold some books and hopefully made some new fans and friends. The launch party was AWESOME! I have pics but they are on my phone.

Meanwhile, I am getting ready for the NJSCBWI conference NEXT weekend. The last travel weekend before summer. Phew! Just making the final check of my presentation and putting together a wiki for people who come to the conference and whatnot.

The Sword of Danu  has been doing pretty well, but I realize I need to do some more promo stuff. I promise I will do some giveaways and stuff soon!  The book is also listed on Goodreads now,  so if you’ve read it (or are planning to read it), you can add it to your list.

Later, dahlings!

 

Patience is a virtue…

Sorry, my lovelies, no video blog this week. My trip to NYC pushed me behind on grad school work, and so I am catching up with that, plus getting our taxes filed. Not that the trip wasn’t worth every second — I shopped on Times Square and got a new Swatch (like I need another watch, but I love Swatch!), went and bought makeup in Sephora for the first time ever.  We walked down 57th Street in the rain and looked in all the windows (like Tiffany’s and Coach) and ate too much, and enjoyed a fabulous ballet and slept in a great bed in a wonderful hotel with a terrific view of the Husdon. It was a wonderful time away.

But now I have to pay the price and work to catch up.

Meanwhile, my eye thing turned out to be a corneal infection, and so I bought a new pair of glasses to wear when I don’t feel like wearing contacts. Which, as I get older, I realize may be more days than before, because wearing contacts was always part vanity. My hubby likes the new ones, all in-style plastic frames that do look pretty good. I still hate wearing glasses when it’s hot, and you get all sweaty under the nose pieces, but on the weekends it might become the norm.

I’m working on a topic for the next video blog, never fear darlings, hopefully next week!

Stay awesome.