Blog Without A Name

Steve and I had plans to meet at the Framemakers in downtown Waterville at 3:30 today.  Therefore, I left the day-job, detoured to Tim Horton’s  for much-needed caffeine and sugar To Go, and headed for Main Street.

At the Framemakers, Amy was. . . let’s say that Amy was Highly Appreciative of David Mattingly’s Ghost Ship art.  The three of us played with matte-board and frames for a while, which is always fun, and agreed that the purple and gold scheme was stunning.  That decided, we left Amy to do the hard part, while we went down the block to Barrels, where we shopped mustard (mmmm, mustard) and jam, coming away with three jars of the former (Raye’s Winter Garden, Classic, and Lemon Pepper) and one jar each of blueberry and pumpkin butter.

At home, I found in my inbox a notice from SFWA (that’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) that the nominating period for the Nebula Award ballot is now open, closing on February 15, 2011.

Last year, I’d read a couple of works that I thought deserved recognition; this year, I haven’t (1) read that much and (2) been blown away by anything that I did read.  I hope that will change before the closing date for nominations.

In the meantime, if you are an Associate or Active member of SFWA, you are eligible to nominate works to the Nebula ballot, which will be voted on by Active members in March.  Winners will be announced at the Nebula Awards Weekend, in Washington D.C., over the weekend of May 19 – 22, 2011.

This year, Lee and Miller have two novels eligible for nomination:  Saltation, and Mouse and Dragon.  In addition, Sharon Lee has an eligible novel:  Carousel Tides.

Tonight, Steve has a library trustee meeting.  Ball o’fire that I am, myself, I plan to curl up on the couch with a coon cat or two and. . .read a book.

Everybody have a good evening, ‘k?

. . .first one published was Agent of Change, a mass market original from Random House/Del Rey, in February 1988, then Conflict of Honors, in June 1988; Carpe Diem in October 1989; and Plan B in trade paper in…

February 1999.

Yeah, little bit of break, there.

Starting with the February 1999 release, though, we got more regular in our habits, with the result that we just recently handed in our eighteenth collaborative novel.

A lot of you have heard this story before.  The reason I’m doing a refresher right now is. . .

. . .with the assistance of Madame the Agent, and the willingness of Toni Weiskopff at Baen. . .

. . .we just today sold three more Liaden Universe® novels.

Dragon Ship, the sequel to next August’s Ghost Ship, is due in September 2011.  Trade Secret, the sequel to Balance of Trade, is due in May 2012.  In-between those two — due in January 2012 — is an as-yet-untitled Surebleak-centric story featuring some interesting new characters.

Keep in mind that the above are the authors’ delivery dates and not publication dates.  We don’t know what the publication dates may or will be.  That comes later.

First, we need to write like heck.

Announcing!  Skyblaze:  Adventures in the Liaden Universe® Number Seventeen in time for everybody’s favorite holiday —

Groundhog Day.

Read all about it, and pre-order here.

1. Dinner last night at the Riverside Cafe was lovely.  I had spinach and garlic ravioli; Steve had a haddock fillet the size of Montana.  There was good music, the promise of more, and! there was dessert!

2.  I have today performed Marvels, and thereby retired the backlog of House bookkeeping.  All that remains is the SRM bookkeeping, in the fine tradition of saving the best for last.  This means — anybody?  Yes, you there with the purple hair?  Exactly, thank you!  It means that I’m behind on my email.

3.  I need three books, and Miller Library has them all on the shelf.  Have I mentioned lately how very much I like working inside of a library?

4.  The reading lamp in the living room died this morning.  This is not convenient.

5.  My cold has graduated from sandpaper throat to sneeze-and-drip.  Begone cold!  I have no time for this!

Yeah, like that’ll work…

I have started sketching in Teh Shiny.

I have Committed Bookkeeping.

I have made reservations for Saturday dinner.

I have committed a poster that is too Radical to be used for its intended purpose (sigh).

Truly.  Yes, TRULY I am mighty.

I am mentioning right now, because I have rocks for brains and forgot to do so before now:  Y’all remember that David Mattingly does make a limited number of prints of his cover art available for sale?  And very reasonably, too?  So, if you’re loving the art for Ghost Ship as much as we do around the Cat Farm, get thee to David’s bio page, click on the email link at the bottom and open negotiations.

It is raining in Central Maine; a condition that is projected to last for the next day or so.

I think I may go to bed early.  It’s hard work, being mighty.

I just now emailed the corrected! and expanded! Ghost Ship to Toni at Baen.  Hopefully, that’s got everything.  Doubtless, we’ll hear, if not.

In the meantime, I want to write!  Yes.  Yes, I do.  Unfortunately, what I want to write is probably not the next thing I ought to write, though it is one of the projects currently under discussion. And, honestly?  What I ought to really be doing is the bookkeeping.  Before it achieves sentience.

Well.

It can’t hurt to just noodle out a couple pages of Teh Shiny, right?  While we’re between contracts and all?

Yeah, I’m doomed.

Carousel Tides looks to be doing well for itself — Number Two bestselling trade paperback at Uncle Hugo’s for October! *is chuffed*.

If you’ve read the book, please do consider posting a review on Amazon, BN, Goodreads, LibraryThing, or, yanno, your website or journal.  Word of mouth is a Powerful Force for Good.

Fans of the day-job will be delighted to learn that it has graduated to Mad Scramble, where it will remain, breaking all-too-briefly for Yuletide, before shifting into high gear.

Mozart is sitting on the desk at my left hand, purring.  I think he’s happy to have All Those Papers out of his way.

Steve is in the kitchen, building grilled cheese sammiches.

Mmmmm, grilled cheese.

What small pleasure are you enjoying this evening?

Today is the Official Release Day for Carousel Tides!

I’m proud of you, young book!  Go forth and do great things!

Short form:  Carousel Tides has been sent off into the world in style, and!  I had a blast.

Photos follow.

We were on the top floor at the Sea View, and the views were spectacular:

As if this wasn’t enough fun, we had a party, too!

We had folks come up to Old Orchard Beach from such far-flung places as Alabama, Virginia, Maryland (by proxy), New York, Massachusetts, and South Portland.  Jeanne at Beggar’s Ride was an elegant hostess, the buffet from Roma was to die for, I got to talk to a lot of people and signed bunches of books.

A success, by anyone’s accounting.

Home now, car unloaded, cats placated.  Tired.

Thanks again to everyone who took time to come to the party — and a blessed Samhain to all.

David Mattingly reports that he has just finished the cover for Ghost Ship.

Here, have a sneak peak.

This is the fifth and last day of the Carousel Tides Snippet Fest, sponsored by Baen Books! More snippety goodness to follow.

Tall and thin, with fly-away blond hair – absolutely unmemorable, except for one thing. She was pointing a gun at my chest.

“No,” I said. “They’re high-handed because they’re from the Land of the Flowers, and you’re not.”

“Woman jumps off the Pier to get between bullets and a seal, you think they’re gonna send the Rescue? Just in case?

“That bullet we dug out of your arm at personal pain to yourself?” “Yah?” I agreed warily. He looked owlish. “It’s silver.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to hear that story.” He grinned. “Actually, I do. After all, it’s got a happy ending.”

One week of snippets is now completed; thank you for your kind attention. Remember! Carousel Tides hits the stands November 2, from Baen!

* * *

Here ends Day Five of the Epic Carousel Tides tweet-a-thon.  Thank you for playing along!

If you’re in or around Old Orchard Beach this evening between 7 and 9 stop by the Seaview for the Carousel Tides warm up reception.  Look for the starry balloons!

Tomorrow is the Big Book Launch Party at Beggar’s Ride, 39 Old Orchard Street from 7 – 9 p.m.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Carousel Tides can be ordered from Amazon.com, from BN, your local independent bookstore, or download it electronically from Baen Webscriptions.