A Little Stocking Stuffing

Christmas is coming and we all know everyone wants a little something catty or a touch of clockwork in their stocking, right? Well, maybe that wasn’t what you were planning for a stocking stuffer, but now you’re thinking it’s a great idea I bet. I’m here to help with a fun giveaway for your holiday or just for the heck of it if you don’t happen to celebrate Christmas. So what’s in this stocking stuffer giveaway?

You get this fantastic set of magnets...

...and some fun swag from The Girl and the Clockwork Cat.

Enter to win by December 23^rd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Holidays!

In Silence Waiting and Working

I'm excited to announce that my short story, In Silence Waiting, is now available through Amazon.com. This story was a semi-finalist in the Writers of the Future 2^nd Quarter 2009 contest and came close to publication in Jim Baen's Universe right before they closed up shop.

In Silence Waiting

The New Gobi desert is a dangerous place. The only way to cross with relative safety is with guided caravans using genetically engineered slaves, the cynta, creatures designed to sense the dangers of the desert.

When the guide is killed in a tragic incident partway through the crossing, his shackled cynta finds an unlikely ally among the people in the caravan. This ally bring the cynta hope for greater freedoms, but there are still the dangers of the New Gobi to face and many others in the caravan who would keep the cynta a slave.

The cynta can face the threat of the desert alone. The threat of continued slavery, however, is one it cannot conquer without help. Without the ability to speak, can the cynta build a strong enough bond with its new ally to weather the challenges lying ahead?

---

In other news, the sequel to The Girl and the Clockwork Cat is out with beta readers and I'm now working madly on an unrelated project for NaNoWriMo. Any other crazy NaNo addicts out there? I imagine you're to busy writing to read this right now, but ganbatte!

I'm currently a few thousand words behind because I started the month sick and now...

Yep. Curse you EA.

Happy writing and reading (and gaming)!

Another Halloween Medley

Because everyone needs a medley now and then and Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the costumes and the creativity. This year, I’ve been too busy to invest a lot of time into it, but I wanted to share a little seasonal fun with you all, so here is my Halloween medley. Last minute pumpkins.

Dressing up the kids.

A bit of Halloween fun from Eldritch Black including Pumpkins, skeletons and a cat in a tutu.

No Halloween is complete without a little Manson. Here is Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare before Christmas' re-cut with Marilyn Manson's version of 'This Is Halloween' for the re-release of the film in Disney Digital 3-D and 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU6iP0WLsU8]

If you’d like a little steampunk in your Halloween, you can visit my interview over at YA Interrobang.

For a little extra boost of steampunk Halloween, here’s Abney Park performing Evil Man in their studio.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLWe_2wV7cg]

Happy Halloween!

Sweet Romance: 君がいるから

If there is a consistent source of inspiration in my creative life it's music. I have more than one book idea that was inspired by a song and I often listen to music while I write, tailoring my playlist to the mood I’m trying to set in the scene. I also drive down the road singing along at the top of my lungs and dancing behind the wheel, but I try not to subject others to that part. I thought it might be fun to share some of the music that inspires me when I’m working. The first is one of my favorites of all time and a regular go to when I want a sweet romantic feel in a scene. This song isn’t inspiration for a first kiss or night of hot passion. This is two people who mean a great deal to one another discovering their love, reaffirming their love, or perhaps being reunited after a traumatic separation. It even works for non-romantic love, in the case of friends with a deep bond to one another.

This, for me, is one of those rare songs I always play two or three times every time it comes up in my playlist simply because I love it that much. It is in Japanese, however, so I provided a translation below the video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WHVyzPTyv8&w=560&h=315]

"kimi ga irukara" (Because you’re here)

The rain which began to fall still hasn’t stopped crying Although the coldness was too painful because I didn’t have an umbrella with me… The one who warmed me up, was you

I, who have lost my voice, only sleeps as if I’m dead Although I cried as I became lost amidst the dream I can’t wake up from… The one who found me, was you

It was sad and distressing, if I look back Traces of the dream so transient Here and now, once again,

"arigatou"

Is what I want to convey to you

If you will laugh, I’ll sing If you wish for it, I’ll be by your side If you are doubtful, I’ll say it as many times as it takes Until my voice withers…

Can you hear me? Am I reaching you? Because you’re here, I’m here.

...

Translation from here.

Because I’m always collecting more music, I’d love to hear what your favorite sweet romance songs are?

Book Signing: Lesson Learned and Cool Stuff

 

I’ve been on the reader side of the table many times in my life.

A little nervous. A little excited. Trying to think of something to say to a favorite author that doesn’t sound absurd.

Glowing and happy as I approach the signing table of someone I know. Delighting in their accomplishment and proud to know them.

I never thought of what it’s like to be on the other side of the table, not even when I was getting ready for my book release party. I was far too busy fretting about whether the books and swag would arrive on time or if I forgot to invite anyone to think about actually being in that seat on the other side of the table.

The books arrived and the swag was perfect.

I even had someone there to handle the purchasing side of things. All I had to do was talk to people and sign books. Easy right?

Ever seen a deer in the headlights?

Yep. That’s how I felt, which wasn’t a real problem until it came time to write something in the books. I had no idea what to write. I hadn’t thought about that part of it. Not once. To be fair, I think it’s harder when you know a lot of the people buying the books because you want to say something personal to each of them, but having some vague notion of what to write would have made it so much easier.

So this is my advice to the new authors out there. Put time in on swag and ordering book copies and arranging all the details (better if you can delegate some of that), but also spend time coming up with a plan for how your want to sign those books so that you don’t have to try to engage your brain when you feel like a deer in the headlights (this is especially important for true introverts).

For all of you on the other side of the table, be gentle.

Now for a few of the fun things from the book release party.

An amazing bag gifted to me by the extremely talented Ann of Romany Rapture.

This fantastic pendant gifted to me by another incredibly talented woman, Lora of London Particulars.

And some great bouquets from more lovely people.

Happy book signing, regardless of what side of the table you're on!

Pacific Northwest Writers Blog Hop

I had a different post planned for today, but I was hit up by fellow Pacific NW author Michael G. Munz, author of Zeus Is Dead and several other novels (learn more about his books here) for the Pacific Northwest Writers Blog Hop. Not only did this sound like fun, but it bumps my other post to next week, freeing me from coming up with a new idea. So Here's my contribution to the hop...

1) What am I working on?

My immediate goal is to finish editing the second book in the Clockwork Cat series and get that to my agent by the end of October. Why the end of October? Because we all know what November is.

NaNoWriMo!

I know a lot of authors aren't into the NaNoWriMo write 50,000 words in a month thing. I love it! I won't wax eloquent on why here, I've done that in several blog posts previously. If you really want to know why I love it you can learn more on some of those old posts (My NaNoWriMo Tips and Lessons Learned and Confessions of a NaNoWriMo Addict (and Lessons Learned)). For a short answer, The Girl and the Clockwork Cat started life as a NaNoWriMo novel and that alone is reason enough for me to keep doing it. I already know what I'm writing this year and, after all the editing and book promotion, I'm dying to get started.

2) How does my work differ from others in its genre?

In the Young Adult category, I think having a really strong female protagonist without having a heavy romance is fairly unusual. In all my work, I like to establish the women as self-sufficient and strong before I let them get too involved in romance that might take away from their own self-discovery.

On the steampunk side of things, the low-key gradual development of that technology throughout the series is also uncharacteristic of that genre. It has been a source of disappointment for some readers who are heavy steampunk devotees, but hopefully I can win them over by the end.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I love working in fantasy and science fiction, mostly because there is boundless opportunity to explore creativity while still giving ample opportunity to research and learn. In The Girl and the Clockwork Cat, for example, I spent days researching Victorian London and learning everything I could about that time, but the fact that it is fantasy gave me the ability to take what I learned and turn it into something new.

4) How does my writing process work?

I do actually outline in a sense, but not in the typical sense. When I get an idea, I bounce it around in my head for a while. When I have a good feel for my primary character(s) and I know, at the very least, what their goals are and where I want the book to start and end, I begin making notes and sketching out pivotal scenes. Sometimes I'll rough out a more detailed timeline, but most of the time I let that information live in my head and start writing, allowing it the story to move dynamically while I work. And there you have it. My contribution to the Pacific NW Blog Hop. Don't forget to drop by Michael G. Munz and follow through to some of the other authors on the blog hop.

Now to keep the blog hopping I'm passing the torch to another Pacific Northwest author.

Ceejae Devine

Ceejae Devine focuses on personal spiritual experiences, which is something she never imagined she’d be doing because she’s not religious and she doesn’t fit most people’s ideas about what it means to be spiritual. She is a feminist and a single parent with two daughters who are both strong in art, math and science. Ceejae spends most of her time following thoughts to see where they lead, and she’s been making surprising discoveries. She is currently fine tuning her memoir and developing a mini-book called “Critical Revelations About Contemporary Spirituality.”

Ceejae's links: Facebook, Twitter, Website

Enjoy!

Rising from the Ashes

A dramatic title, I know, but when your computer dies, it is really dramatic. Even if you have the important stuff (writing) backed up, losing your computer means losing your ability to work effectively. This time around, when we pulled the hard drive, it looked like it had started melting. Definitely dead.

On the up side, if your computer dies right before bonus time when several wondrous new games are lurking on the horizon…

…it can be a blessing in disguise.

Criteria for a new computer for me is simple.

1. It has to be quiet, so it doesn’t drive me bonkers when I’m writing.
2. It has to be able to run upcoming games with ease.
3. It has to do everything without overheating.

Now for a little amateur video.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ja7Kbg42jo]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT_f_hHlN0c]

There will be many books written and edited using this computer, which is its primary purpose, but there will also be epic gaming.

The best part is, now that I have a working computer again, I can get back to editing the next book.

In the Interim

The last week has been a little crazy with adjusting to the idea of having a book out, trying to keep track of social media and writing up guest blog posts and interviews. Outside of that, I've been trying to edit the next book,

get Teagan established with a vet in our new town,

get my horses in to a vet for their dental appointment,

prepare for a book release party,

and manage all the other little details of life (like going to urgent care for a cat bite). I hope to have something more fun up on my blog soon, but in the interim, if you're curious about my book, The Girl and the Clockwork Cat, you can follow some of the reviews and guest posts on my blog tour here managed by the fabulous YA Bound Book Tours.

Happy adventuring!

Not a Clockwork Dog

The release of my debut novel, The Girl and the Clockwork Cat, rushed in on the heels of a whirlwind move from a house we’d lived in for fourteen years. Fourteen years is exactly long enough to forget how dreadful moving is and to accumulate a ton of stuff.

With the move and all the prep work for the book release, I barely had a free minute for anything else. This made it the perfect time to adopt a dog. (There may be something wrong with me).

Meet eight-month-old Teagan.

In a mere couple of weeks, he’s become an integral part of the family. Even the cats are reluctantly accepting him into their domain (possibly in the hopes of dispatching him when we aren’t looking).

Teagan puts out a lot of effort to fit in. He’s learned not to be too forward with the cats and picked up the idea of Frisbee like a champ (though he’s still having a little trouble with the idea of giving the Frisbee back).

He’s gone on several adventures around the new neighborhood with us and even showed off his excellent manners at brunch on the patio of a local restaurant.

Last night, we decided to have a nice dinner in to celebrate the book release. Overwhelmed with the excitement in the house, Teagan helped himself to a lovely cut of uncooked steak off the counter…

He did make amends by helping cook in a rather unexpected torrential downpour, possibly in hopes of getting another go at the steak.

He may not be a cat and he may not always get things right, but he’s a fantastic addition to the family.

Welcome home Teags. I'm hoping you'll have many more chances to snatch a celebratory steak off the counter.

Cover Reveal: Cat-tastic!

I'm really excited to share this with all of you.

I've had several author friends tell me horror stories about getting good cover art. I was so relieved when I saw the cover art for The Girl and the Clockwork Cat. It was almost perfect. So much so that I even altered the book a tiny bit to match the art better while the cover artist tweaked a few other details. The result is a cover that I am quite delighted to share.

You can also see the cover reveal with story description at the Entangled Teen blog (and marvel at how much the cat looks like my boy Neko below, only with fewer neurotic issues).

If it catches your fancy, you can also add The Girl and the Clockwork Cat to your Goodreads list.

Enjoy!