April 2009

And Back Again… Sorta
I never intend to take these unannounced hiatuses from Abstract Thoughts but they do happen when I get very busy. Very busy in this case has been: A friend coming to visit from Sacramento. A science fiction and fantasy convention where I not only volunteered, I was a pro-guest. A huge "pays the bills" gig from one of my main clients. A huge RPG project from a company I have wanted to work with for a long time. Yeah. It's been a heck of a month and it isn't over yet.

However, the visit with Heather was pretty darned cool. No hospitals involved but some fabulous ice cream and a lot of shopping was involved. The science fiction convention was very good for my career and is detailed below. The "pays the bills" gig is great and ongoing. My editor is happy with me and we all know a happy editor means more work in the future. The RPG gig is awesome. I couldn't be happier dumping my twisted brain into unusual monsters based on proverbs and superstitions.

And then there is the next bit of news. You know how it took me years to shop GRANTS PASS around until I found my most awesome publisher, Morrigan Books? Well, a couple weeks ago, I casually mentioned to the owner of the Apex Book Company that I'd really like to do an anthology of stories that blended urban legends and alien encounters. He asked me some questions. I answered them. It was idle talk. A week later (just before walking out the door for Norwescon), we are talking some hard numbers and contract. Suddenly, I have my next anthology project – CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE URBAN KIND – sold to an awesome publishing company and yes, I could talk about it at my convention.

What a difference in anthologies. I had the manuscript for GRANTS PASS and it still took two years of hard pushing to sell it. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE URBAN KIND took all of one week for just the idea! So, now I have a bunch of invitations to write out for the anthology and I'm very excited about this.

However, you know what all of this means? It means I'm probably going to be radio-silent on Abstract Thoughts for a while longer while I work on all my projects. Not that I'm complaining. It's just as Neil Gaiman once said… It's too hard to blog when you're writing.

Key Highlights of Norwescon:

1. This was my first Norwescon as a pro. I had 5 panels and 2 workshops.

2. Since I sold CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE URBAN KIND to the Apex Book Company just before I walked out the door to go to the convention, I got to solicit for authors to write for me. That was very cool. I think I had only one author tell me they were not interested.

3. Met some very cool people from Wizards of the Coast that I need to follow up with.

4. I had someone ask me for freelancing advice. She bought me coffee so she could pick my brain. From that, I've suggested a panel for BayCon called "Guerilla Marketing for the Freelance Author."

5. I need to follow up with Eric Morgret who invited me to read for Crypticon Seattle.

6. Had a chat with the president of Exile Game Studio and may end up writing stuff for the Hollow Earth Expedition RPG.

7. Met some fabulous people I have only known on LJ until now. This includes Mark Henry, Josh Palmatier, Lisa Mantchev, Erik Scott de Bie and Brent Kellmer. There were so many more people that I met I'd have to go through my business cards to list them and even then I wouldn't get them all.

Obsessive about Certain Stories
I'm in love with my husband's Kindle. I've used it a couple times now to read novels for evaluation and/or blurbing reasons when I only had a text or PDF version. It allowed me to get away from the computer and curl up in my favorite chair to read. For that alone, it is a pretty keen device. The ability to buy and immediately read a book without leaving your home is another super keen feature.

However, it revealed to me another one of my quirks. I have many of them. It seems that I have a thing about certain stories. I didn't realize it until I was considering getting myself a Kindle and thought, "Of course, my favorite books would have to be on it." Then I realized what a list that was and all of the times I have done this before.

I am obsessive about certain stories enough to buy and re-buy them in every single medium they come out in. These stories are:

"The Dark is Rising" series by Susan Cooper. I have these books in book form and MP3 form. (I do not consider that atrocity [movie] barely based on the series as a legitimate version of the books.)

"The Stand" by Stephen King. I have this book in book form, MP3 form, made for TV mini-series form and now am collecting it in comic book form.

"The Dark Tower" series by Stephen King. I have this series in book form, CD form, MP3 and now am collecting it in comic book form.

"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. I have this book in book form, CD form, MP3 form and made for TV mini-series form. If they make a movie true to the story, I will buy that, too.

"Dune" by Frank Herbert. I have this book in book form (x3), MP3 form, the David Lynch movie (Director's cut) form, and made for TV mini-series form.

If I bought a Kindle, all of these books would be required to go on it… just because. They are comfort books and if I have the Kindle with me for traveling or at a coffee shop, I would want these books on them just in case I felt a need to read them.

What's worse? I've thought about it and I have more books creeping into my "Must have in all forms" obsession. Frankly, I'd also want to have the following on a Kindle as well.

"On Writing" by Stephen King. I have this in book form, CD form and MP3 form.

The entire "Siblings of the Shroud" set of books by Steve Perry. These are "The 97th Step," "The Man Who Never Missed," the "Matador" trilogy, "The Albino Knife," "The Omega Cage," "Brother Death," and "Black Steel." I only have them in book form but I've looked for them in CD form.

So, yes. I guess I am a bit obsessive about certain stories. At least my husband knows exactly what I like if he gets stuck for an appropriate gift for a holiday, birthday or anniversary. Sometimes, I think I should worry about my quirks. But you know, no one cares when the voices say, "Plant a rose garden." They only care when the voices say, "Nourish your rose garden with human blood." This quirk is only harmful to my pocketbook. Thus, I really shouldn't worry about it.

But it does make me hope that, someday, someone will be obsessive like this about my books.