21 Hellspark, Janet Kagan (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
Category: Blog
Lee and Miller HELIOsphere schedule
HELIOsphere is happening April 28 – 30, 2023 Holiday Inn Piscataway, NJ. Sharon and Steve are Writer Guests of Honor.
Here’s our schedule:
FRIDAY
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm – Library
Sharon and Steve read from their novelette “The Space at Tinsori Light”
6:30 pm – 7:45 pm – Miracle Ballroom
How do you introduce new characters into existing story arcs?
Lancelot Schaubert (M), Chuck Gannon, Sharon Lee, Emily Munro, Walter Hunt
While you might be sure they belong, a misstep can unbalance a story and cloud what you’ve already written. We’ll explore approaches that allow new characters to thrive along with your story.
SATURDAY
8:30am – Fusions Restaurant, in-hotel
Friends of Liad Breakfast
A continuing tradition: Steve and Sharon invite all Friends of Liad to join them for breakfast, where we can catch up on life, the universe, and everything. NOTE: This is not a convention event. Everyone pays for their own breakfast. Even Sharon and Steve.
11:30am – 12:45pm – Miracle Ballroom
GoH Interview
Kathryn Sullivan (M), Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm – Miracle Ballroom
In Conversation with David Mattingly
Michael Ventrella (M), Sharon Lee, David Mattingly, Steve Miller
4:00 pm – 5:15 pm – Lounge area outside the restaurant
Teddy Bear Tea
8:00 pm – 9:15 pm – Salon C
Group Autographing
SUNDAY
11:30 am – 12:45 pm – Miracle Ballroom
Secrets to Putting a Lasting Foundation Under Your Universe
Lancelot Schaubert (M), Steve Miller, Chuck Gannon, Walter Hunt, Aaron Rosenberg
If you’re planning on using — and reusing — a universe in multiple stories or novels you’ll want to avoid having to retcon yourself. Having some sense of the physics and the social structures you want to work with can ease your job and comfort your readers down the line.
2:30 pm – 3:45 pm – Salon C
Cut the Boring Parts
Elektra Hammond (M), Sharon Lee, Keith De Candido, Ann Stolinsky, Aaron Rosenberg
Writers are told they need to cut out all the boring parts. But boring to whom? Those who like every last detail of a ship or weapons? Those who want only action? What about quiet bits of worldbuilding – should they stay or go?
Full HELIOsphere schedule can be found here
Looking forward to seeing all of you soon!
Books read in 2023
20 The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren (e)
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
Coming Soon to HELIOsphere
HELIOsphere is a mere 18 days in the future, and things are starting to firm up.
Steve and I will be hosting a Friends of Liad Breakfast in the hotel restaurant on Saturday morning, to kick off what looks to be a busy day full of fun.
Saturday’s programming will include the Writer Guest of Honor interview — Sharon Lee and Steve Miller chatting with Kathryn Sullivan.
A little later in the day, we’ll be sitting down with Artist Guest of Honor David B. Mattingly to discuss whatever seems good to us — art, maybe? Cats, definitely. Michael Ventrella will facilitate that discussion.
Then! The Teddy Bear Tea in the hotel garden, where all the traveling stuffies get a chance to talk among themselves, and their humans can tell their stories to the other humans.
Saturday festivities wrap up with a mass signing — All Attending Authors Together in one place, pens in hands. Who can beat that?
In addition, Steve and I will be reading “The Space at Tinsori Light” — time and place of reading TBA.
Sound like a good time? You can be part of it. Here’s the link to everything you need to know.
Books read in 2023
19 Artfully Yours, Joanna Lowell (e)
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
You input is needed!
Attention Friends of Liad, and all the ships in space …
In a few weeks Lee and Miller will be the Writer Guests of Honor at Heliosphere — we hope you’ll be there!
What’s planned? A signing, a reading, some panels … and more. We expect to have a version of a “Teddy Bear Tea” for all the traveling stuffies, too — but now the hard part: We have to decide what we’re going to read at the Lee and Miller reading!
Why is this hard, you ask? Because we only have about six million words to choose from in the Liaden stories alone, and the reading’s going to be around an hour long. We’ve already made one decision — we’ll read from the Liaden Universe® rather than from our other stories….
So, friends and fans planning on being there, what would you prefer? Should we read an entire single story? Should we offer a kind of long teaser from the latest? Should we offer a “good bits” selection? And — would you prefer to have a chance at a Q&A after, or should the time be as filled as possible with story?
The sooner we know, the sooner we can start picking and practicing …
Thanks!
Steve and Sharon
Books read in 2023
18 Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart (re-re-&c-read) (e)
17 The Magician’s Daughter, H.G. Parry (e)
16 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles (Doomsday #1) (e)
15 A Conspiracy of Truths, Alexandra Rowland (e)
14 A Tangled Web, Lucy Maud Montgomery (e)
13 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
12 It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian, (The Sedgewicks #1) (e)
11 Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
10 Getting Rid of Bradley, Jennifer Crusie (e) re-read
9 Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik (e) re-read
8 Masters in this Hall, K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) (e)
7 Storm Echo, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 6) (e)
6 Magic for Marigold, L.M. Montgomery (e)
5 The Harbors of the Sun, Martha Wells (Raksura #5) (e)
4 The Edge of the World, Martha Wells (Raksura #4) (e)
3 The Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (e)
2 The Raven Tower, Ann Leckie (e)
1 Salvage Right, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Liaden Universe® 25) (unedited manuscript) (e)
April Fools need not apply
This is an April Fools Free Zone. Which is to say that the following things are true, and not thinly disguised attempts to bully or belittle you.
Yes, I have Opinions about April Fools Day.
1 A couple weeks ago, Steve and I stopped by Writers Drinking Coffee and had a great time chatting with Karen, Jeannie, and Chaz.
The interview is now up and you can listen to it here.
2 The results of the Great Salvage Right Tyop Hunt have been forwarded to Baen. Steve and I extend our thanks to all who participated.
3 Steve and I will be Writer Guests of Honor at Heliosphere, at the end of this month. Our schedule is firming up. We expect to have a lot of fun, and hope to see you there. You can learn about the con and register here
4 For those who have been following along, for several years now — Yesterday was the six-month get-together with the oncologist. Blood was drawn and read. I am pronounced “appallingly healthy” and am under orders to remain so. Next get-together in six months.
5 April 1 is celebrated as an anniversary here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, it being the day Steve and I moved in together. Yes, we were aware of the irony, but if you didn’t move out by the first, you owed the whole month’s rent, and neither one of us could afford that.
This particular April 1 marks the 45th time we have celebrated the anniversary together, and while we’ve laughed a lot over the years, the partnership was never a joke.
Tyop Hunters, Tools Down!
So ends the Great Salvage Right Tyop Hunt.
Thirty-two seasoned tyop hunters took to the field and bagged an impressive number of errors.
Steve and I extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated. Your dedication and attention to detail is mind-boggling. Your good humor is humbling, and your gentleness in the face of error unsurpassed.
Give yourselves a hand, Tyop Hunters!
And, again — thank you so very much.
Salvage Right eARC Formatting Errors
Salvage Right EARC news! Please read this slowly, there are Details.
Many of you noticed that the table of contents and the chapter headers in your copy of the eARC were … badly formatted. In answer to many reports made to me, and transmitted to Baen Tech Support, a formatted eARC has been uploaded.
If you have a badly formatted eARC, you may go here to download the corrected file at no charge (this is always the case with Baen, but I want to be clear).
If you discover similar formatting errors in your NEW file, please report those errors to baensupportATprincipledtechnologiesDOTcom
REPEAT: ebook formatting errors should be reported to Baen Tech Support.
I will ask you to please be detailed in your report, if any. Baen Support was never able to reproduce the errors I reported on your behalf, which was all kinds of frustrating for everybody involved.
I know that I don’t have to, but — for That Guy In the Back — if you do make an error report, be gentle. Baen Support has been through a lot with this one, and fixing errors you can’t see is nerve-wracking, at best.
Thank you all.