Category Archives: Books

Best of the blog so far

More than two years into my authorial and blogging career, I’ve seen a few blog posts on here continue to get a steady stream of readers, often months after the fact. Most of my most-visited blog posts have to do with writing, which is pretty understandable. But there are a few in there that kind of leave me wondering.

The following is a list of the most highly trafficked “evergreen” blog posts — unrelated to newsier items like getting my book published. Note that in some of the earlier posts, The Daedalus Incident went by the working title Spacebuckler before Night Shade Books wisely encouraged me to revisit the name.

Anyway, these are the ten most popular items based on visits by you, the readers. Because, hey, everbody likes a clip show, right?

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Filed under Books, Geek, Writing

This book just got real

20130220-090956.jpgWell, look what we have here, gang.  Three beautiful (uncorrected galley proof) copies of The Daedalus Incident, fresh off the presses! They’re so very, very pretty. Up to now, this whole let’s-publish-a-novel thing has been somewhat academic. There’s been a lot of pixel pushing and e-mailing on computer screens, but nothing truly material except for my red-marked drafts. But this…this is a book. A very real book that has heft in your hand and pages to turn. It’s a beautiful thing.

So…want one? If you head on over to Con or Bust, you can bid on one of these, and I’ll sign it and personalize it for you if you win. Proceeds go to helping people of color attend SF/F conventions when they might not otherwise afford to go. Diversity is a good thing. So go bid — the auction ends Sunday. As of now, this is the only way you’re going to read this thing before it hits shelves May 7!

Also, if you want to read about religion in SF/F, hop on over to The Night Bazaar. We’ve had some really great, thoughtful stuff on the topic, and I hope my two cents is worthy. Check it out.

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Filed under Books, Geek, Writing

Blogging at the Night Bazaar again

I’m traveling for work this week, but I’m still doing my thing over at the Night Bazaar. This week, they’ve asked us to discuss sexuality in SF/F, and I did my very best to keep it classy. Check it out!

Also, let’s not forget the Con or Bust auction. Click here to bid on a signed galley of The Daedalus Incident. You have until Feb. 24. Proceeds go to helping people of color attend SF/F conventions and enjoy the great community of SF/F fans.

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Filed under Books, Geek, Uncategorized, Writing

The monkey and the panda in all of us

A dish simply called Beans! (Photo by Katrina Woznicki)

Last Wednesday, Kate, Anna and I went to a great little restaurant in the East Village called Dirt Candy. It’s a vegetarian place and, while I am most certainly an avowed carnivore, the food was truly awesome. As in go-back-in-a-heartbeat awesome. Seriously, if you plan to be in New York, get on Open Table and get a reservation now. Not just ’cause it’s awesome, but also because it’s tiny and really well reviewed, and tables go faster than the Jets’ chances of winning a Super Bowl any time soon.

The chef, Amanda Cohen, not only does great veggies, but she also has a fantastic cookbook, one that she did in collaboration with graphic artist Ryan Dunleavy. Yes, it’s a cookbook/graphic novel, with all the greatness that implies. Chef Cohen, who once took on Morimoto on Iron Chef America, was kind enough to personalize Kate’s signed copy for her, and also served us dessert. I mean, seriously, that’s cool.

So why am I mentioning this?

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Filed under Books, Food, Geek, Writing

Con or Bust auction now open! Win a signed galley of Daedalus!

The Con or Bust auction kicked off at midnight Saturday, and I’m proud to say there’s already a bid on my offering of a signed galley of The Daedalus Incident. Actually, I’m kind of relieved…I mean, there’s signed books up for auction by Neil Gaiman, John Scalzi and fellow Night Shade author Betsy Dornbusch; I wondered if my little debut would get noticed at all. I’m thankful it did, and that the proceeds will go to help the SF/F community.

So…want to win the signed, personalized galley copy of The Daedalus Incident and read it months before it debuts? Of course you do! So first, click here to get onto the auction page. Then, put your bid in the comment area. You may want to check the box to get notified when there’s a new comment and, thus, a new bid. That way, you can bid higher and ensure you win, right?

As noted previously, proceeds go toward assisting people of color attend SF/F conventions when they might not otherwise afford it. Diversity rocks. Science-fiction and fantasy fandom rocks. And if you win this auction, you will officially rock as well. So get clicking and bidding — the auction closes Feb. 24!

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Now blogging at The Night Bazaar!

Today’s my debut blog post over at The Night Bazaar, Night Shade Books’ group author blog. We’ll be tackling all kinds of juicy topics over the next several weeks, and I’m excited to participate alongside so many outstanding scribes. I’ll be there every Wednesday until they basically tell me to stop.

Today’s topic is dealing with reviews. Although a bare handful of souls have read The Daedalus Incident thus far, I’m no stranger to having my writing out there for folks to critique. How do I deal? Check out the blog post.

Also, as a handy reminder, if you want to be one of the bare handful of souls to read The Daedalus Incident before it comes out May 7, get on over to Con Or Bust and bid on a signed galley of the book. Proceeds go to helping people of color attend SF/F conventions when they might not otherwise be able to afford it. The auction starts Saturday!

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Signed galley of Daedalus up for auction!

Want to be the first on your block — perhaps the first in your broad regional area — to read The Daedalus Incident? Want to help promote diversity at SF/F conventions? Here’s your chance!

A signed galley copy of The Daedalus Incident is up for auction at Con or Bust. Proceeds help people of color attend future SF/F cons when they might not otherwise afford it. Seriously, only a dozen or so souls have read this book so far, so your geek bragging rights are all but assured. Get it months before it comes out, complete with my illegible morass of a signature.

Click here for more information. The auction starts Feb. 9 and runs until Feb. 24. Bid early, bid often!

 

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The Daedalus cover: Pulp remix

I am absolutely thrilled with the cover of The Daedalus Incident. Sparth‘s artwork is fantastic, and the layout and typography arranged by Night Shade Books is lovely. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s perfect.

But then I found the Pulp-O-Mizer, which allows you to create custom covers that hearken back to 1930s pulp magazines. And,well, I had to. I just…had to.

So…behold! The Daedalus Incident: Pulp remix!

photo (40)

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Filed under Books, Geek, Weird

If a book launches in the woods….

Why yes, this is what the book will look like inside.

Been a few weeks since I posted here, and for that I apologize. If you’ve followed my Twitter feed, you’ve seen a similar lack of communication, punctuated by a long weekend in Montreal in which I Tweeted EVERYTHING. So, you know, I hope that was entertaining.

Some of that dearth of communication had to do with the fact that I had to go through the copyedits to The Daedalus Incident. That was fun; I hadn’t really gone through the book in a few months, and it was nice to visit the characters again. At this point, for me this book is like that favorite movie you watch over and over again because you love it and it’s become your mental Snuggie.

I’m really excited for this sucker to get out in to the world so people can read it. In fact, I’m tempted to tell you all about it RIGHT NOW. But I really can’t do that, because I really need to save my powder for the April-June time frame. That’s basic marketing 101. I mean, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re a blog and/or Twitter subscriber or a real-world friend, and have been with me on this particular ride for a while. I’d like to think you’ll buy the book — if you haven’t pre-ordered it already.

It’s everyone else I need to think about. Because if a book launches in the woods…well, it does make a sound. You just want people to hear it.

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Melding minds and anticipating Daedalus

Too many books, too little time.

A couple of quick notes: I’m back over at SFSignal today, participating in a Mind Meld on the merits and drawbacks of re-reading your favorites versus exploring new work. (Spoiler alert: I’m a re-reader.) They put me in with some really outstanding writers, which is quite gratifying. Many thanks to the crew at SFSignal for giving newbies a shot. They do great stuff.

Also, The Daedalus Incident is now officially one of the most anticipated books of 2013, at least according to one (immensely thoughtful and perceptive) book blogger. Many thanks to the Angels of Retribution blog for all the kind words.

I expect to be popping up around the Internet with some frequency in the coming months, so check out the Media page for the latest. Also, I’m working with a very talented designer on revamping this blog, which includes a new Beer Fridge page that should make it easier to search for individual beer reviews.

Because, really, I think SF/F and beer go together like peanut butter and chocolate.

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Filed under Beer Snobbery, Books, Writing