Here are today’s stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 6680 (YES. THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ‘BOUT)
Present Total Word Count: 89,685 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Raised a little hell. Not literally. This time.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; further adventures of Thanksgiving clean-up; laundry including bedding. That’s pretty much it, but in my defense, hey — did you SEE that word count? It’s amazing I even had time to brush my teeth.

Reason for Stopping: Time to go get the laundry out of the dryer, make up the bed again, fold all the clean clothes and put them away … and if this all gets done before the hubs gets home, maybe try to write YES A FEW MORE WORDS it could totally happen, you never know.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Warm dry home; helpful, hot husband who smells good; fat black cat; swimmy blue fish; wonderful editors; a marvelous agent; amazing publishers; super-cool boss; the Eden Moore books earning out; Boneshaker continuing to do well; distant family having a good time without me in better weather than I’m presently experiencing; a secret clubhouse that serves the world; friends who swing by with goodies today; friends who would totally swing by with goodies today if they were in town; friends who are in town but have other plans; friends who express the wish that I were back in their town; Trader Joe’s meat selection and “wine country” chicken salad; Tofurkey (shut up, I love it); candy-colored hair; shiny black boots; a big brick tower; reading recommendations; independent booksellers; chain booksellers; libraries; book-loaners; book readers; new wool coat with a hood; having about 1/3 of my holiday shopping finished already; fuzzy hats; too much work because it’s far better than not enough work; one vehicle which works and is fun to drive; Etsy; novelty tee shirts; The Gap’s revamped selection of jeans; Christmas travel plans; new work-out music; CuteOverload.com; McKay faux-chicken seasoning; Advil; pixelated socks; leg-warmers (even though I didn’t appreciate them the first time they came around; Coke Zero; six different styles of goggles; out-of-town conventions; in-town conventions; tights on sale at Nordstrom Rack; new headphones that keep my ears warm; uncommonly good cover karma; fingerless gloves; plastic cutlery and paper plates; sorted, itemized receipts for everything; hand sanitizer that smells like lavender and chamomile; footie pajamas; Google; cheap red wine; thrift shopping; PBS; good reviews of my books from people I don’t know (and to whom I am not related); my paper shredder; a pack of wild cards; and cheese.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Here are today’s stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue — and yes, I’m making an early day of it:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2594 (not great, not bad)
Present Total Word Count: 83,005 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Argued extensively with a seeing-eye ghoul.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; went to the University Book Store and signed their stock as well as a few mail-order books; did more last-minute Thanksgiving shopping; beat head against wall.

Reason for Stopping: The apartment is not clean and people are coming over tomorrow. I need to change the litterbox, sort out food prep arrangements, vacuum and mop the (filthy) floors, and maybe even do some laundry, we’ll see.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

I give you stats for the dirigible/pony-express story with zombies, the Goodnight-Loving trail, and a 19-year-old Union veteran who’s stuck with a mechanical foot.

Project: “Reluctance”
New Words Written: 2885 (uh oh)
Present Total Word Count: 7525 words
Goal: 5000 words by November 29





Details: Aw, crap. Way too long. Will shelve it for now, and try to fix it next week.
[:: headdesk ::]

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Today has been packed with work, and yet I feel like I’ve hardly gotten anything done. Mondays are like that sometimes. Sometimes you realize you’ve been wrestling with plot bunnies all day and haven’t actually done any of your dayjob work, so you must break for the afternoon and take care of that while your husband is off being a ninja for a few hours — since dayjob work pays the bills and your boss is super-cool and all.

Or maybe that’s just me.

Anyway. In between fretting over fiction and worrying over mold in my apartment again, I took a few minutes and joined the Science Fiction Writers of America. Some kind, anonymous soul donated my membership fee for the year — so, many thanks and three cheers to Mr./Ms./Etc. Anonymous, plus Bonus! thanks to Mary Robinette Kowal, who was very patient with all my n00b questions. Of which there were many.

So. Yes. In other news, two word meters again, to be updated thusly.

First: Here are recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 3898 (much better!)
Present Total Word Count: 80,411 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Made a point. A messy, messy point.
Things Accomplished in Real Life: Joined SFWA; cleaned filthy kitchen; wreaked war on remaining window mold with bleach and Lysol; pestered kitty; did some research for “Reluctance” which FINALLY gave me what I needed in order to build a hydrogen-producing apparatus in my back yard out of an old regulation issue Civil War army wagon, two reinforced ammunition crates lined with copper, a vat or two of sulfuric acid, a few pounds of metal filings, and a bunch of Goodyear tubing.

So it’s just as well that I don’t have a back yard.

Second: I give you stats for the dirigible/pony-express story with zombies, the Goodnight-Loving trail, and a 19-year-old Union veteran who’s stuck with a mechanical foot.

Project: “Reluctance”
New Words Written: 648 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 4640 words
Goal: 5000 words by November 29





Details: Definitely running long. I actually removed a number of words today, but this is the daily tally and I’m sticking to it. I love this character, though. Might have to use him in a future Clockwork Century story.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

A very nice man from Noffke towing company has just removed the Doom Sentra, which I’ve been driving for about eight years. I’m sad to see the wee white car go — almost illogically so, given that it is, at the end of the day, just a piece of machinery … one that has given me a great deal of grief over the last year. But it was a piece of machinery with my own comfy butt-print worked into the driver’s seat, and I’ll miss her all the same.

As some of you know already, I donated the vehicle to my local PBS affiliate, KCTS9.

I did this for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) — the fact that it needed many minor repairs and would’ve been a pain in the neck to sell; whatever it goes for at auction will be a tax-write-off; and I have an (previously confessed) unholy love for public television.

But I must admit, the donation process turned out to be an elaborate pain in the neck. It’s supposed to be a 2-3 day event whereby they send a towing company grab your car and give you a piece of paper; but due in part to the incompetence and hilarity provided by one particular KCTS9 customer service rep, this turned out to be a week-and-a-half long process that occurred only in the wake of six phone calls and fanatical persistence on my part.*

For what it’s worth, the towing company fellow went above and beyond to help me out. If it weren’t for him, I’d still be sitting around waiting for one particular woman at the KCTS9 vehicle donation office to uncork head from ass. But Towing Gent assured me that they perform 15-20 of these donation pick-ups per day, and they almost never become FUBAR’d like mine.

So although I make this tiny public grousing about how things were handled, I do want to assert that I don’t regret the decision and I do recommend it for other people. When all was said and done, they still removed the car and gave me the correct paperwork, and despite KCTS9’s merry gauntlet of interference, I was able to make my donation.

Honestly, the time frame wouldn’t have been quite such a big deal except that I’d left the Sentra parked on the street here in Capital Hill, where street parking is a rare and precious commodity. It’s so rare and so precious in fact, that after we’d left the Sentra unmoved for about two weeks, a parking enforcement officer told me that it should be classified as “abandoned” and subsequently impounded if I didn’t relocate it. I told the nice man in the little cop go-cart that the car was presently uninsured (so I legally couldn’t move it), because I was in the process of donating it to PBS. He seemed appeased, but you must understand why every subsequent day that the KCTS9 office failed to sort out the paperwork and send the tow truck was a day of stress for yours truly. Especially once the chalk marks began to appear on the tires again.

Anyway. Ordeal: Over. Sentra: On to a better place, to serve a higher purpose. PBS: Still a rock star in my eyes. But henceforth you may expect me to wince and gently eyeroll every time I see those commercials begging, “please give us your car - it’s easy!”

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Here are today’s stats for the dirigible/pony-express short story with zombies, the Goodnight-Loving trail, and a 19-year-old Union veteran who’s stuck with a mechanical foot.

Project: “Reluctance”
New Words Written: 2483 (not bad)
Present Total Word Count: 3992 words
Goal: 5000 words by November 29





Details: I’m totally going to overshoot this one. First draft will probably top out around 6K, but I can cut it down later. It always takes me a couple thousand words to really find my footing; I’ve learned to just push through it, then prune it later. Regardless, this one is just a pleasure to write–a little gem of a thing, in its way. Not that I’m not having fun with Bloodshot, mind you, but this small piece feels a little more familiar … or something.

I’ve been dreadfully slack lately, tied up in my own neuroses and plot tangles; but I’m finally back on the fiction pony and I actually have some word count progress to report.

I realize it seems like I’m making an early day of it (and indeed, I might well get a little more work done before the afternoon’s over), but I’m leaving soon to go play back-up writer at a coffeeshop in front of a TV crew. It’s gonna be fun, but that’s all I’m going to say about it for now — because the television piece isn’t about me, and I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to spill.

Anyway, I actually have two word meters to post today.

First: Here are recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2344 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 76,513 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Crashed a parkour meeting in D.C.; dragged a hipster ghoul into strange places; left the part-time drag queen on blind vampire babysitting duty.
Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; some housework but not enough; minimal errand-running; kitty-pestering.

Second: I give you stats for the dirigible/pony-express story with zombies, the Goodnight-Loving trail, and a 19-year-old Union veteran who’s stuck with a mechanical foot.

Project: “Reluctance”
New Words Written: 1509
Present Total Word Count: 1509 words
Goal: 5000 words by November 29





Details: This one’s on deck to fulfill an invite to an anthology. I’ve almost let the deadline get away from me, but I love the story and I’m shoehorning it in to my schedule, dammit. One way or another. I set the word goal at 5000 words because that’s the absolute outside limit of how long it can run. I’ll probably go over a little and have to prune myself down, but we’ll see.

Over at Publishers Weekly - A three-part discussion of Boneshaker via the esteemed Genreville book club. Click through if you’ve read it, and feel free to chime in. If you haven’t read it yet and don’t care for spoilers, I recommend that you restrain yourself.

• Plot and Pacing
  
• Setting
  
• Characters
  

Tomorrow will be a little brighter — which is to say, at least I’ll be getting out of the house. Around (or shortly after) lunchtime I’ll be headed over to the Lake Forest Park branch of Third Place Books, where I’ll hang about and sign stock for a bit. It’s not an official event, but if you catch me there I’d be more than happy to sign your stuff and/or personalize it.

Also, don’t forget — though Boneshaker has allegedly been tough to find for the last little while, to the best of my knowledge you can find a well-stocked stash of signed copies (1). at the University Book Store on the Ave in the U-district, (2). the Pacific Place Barnes & Noble, and (3). the Northgate Barnes & Noble. Plus, of course, Third Place Books (as of tomorrow afternoon).

And yanno, the holidays are right around the corner …

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

• Boneshaker discussion up at Publishers Weekly - Spoilers ahoy, for this is a bookclub discussion. Today’s subject matter is the plot and pacing, and I believe that tomorrow will tackle the setting. Please feel free to chime in if you’re interested; and as always, ping me if you have any questions (though I’ll stay out of the bookclub conversation unless I’m invited).

• Many, many thanks to the CCLaP - For that fine organization has written a positively epic review of Boneshaker. I take back everything I ever said about the Cubs.

• Shameless Nebula plug - I don’t usually do this kind of thing (let the record reflect, virtually never), but it’d be really swell if Boneshaker’s momentum was nudged by a Nebula nod, for which it is eligible this year. And besides, wouldn’t it be cool to see a steampunk title make the list?
  

And now for today’s stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2057 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 74,169 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Secret negotiations, conversations, and twitterpations; the fruits of investigation are discussed and considered; plans are made; the hipster ghoul has some objections but nobody listens.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Started a new day-job project; did a little housework; threw in a couple of loads of laundry; contacted PBS and arranged to have my old car donated thereunto, because I have an unholy love of Neil deGrasse Tyson* and Antiques Roadshow, and anyway it’s easier than trying to sell the thing–given all the minor (but copious) things that are wrong with it. Better to see it go to a good cause, I say; and I’ll take the tax deduction, too.

Reason for Stopping: Time to go pull the laundry out of the dryer. Might return to work later this evening, while the husband is off being a ninja.

• Today I went to the zoo with Ellen, Avi, and Avi’s husband Gordon. I took some pictures. My favorite is probably this one.

• People have been emailing to ask where to find copies of Boneshaker here in Seattle. Apparently it’s been selling out around town (which is a good thing), and people can’t find it (which is a bad thing). Let it now be known: both the Barnes & Noble locations at Pacific Place and Northgate are well stocked with copies, all of which are signed; and likewise, the University Book Store in the U-district has a stash of signed copies (at the moment, as of this posting). Please, have at.

• If you’d like something signed to you, personally (or to a loved one … hey, the holidays are just over the horizon there, aren’t they?), you can order such a book through the University Book Store.

• Regarding electronic editions of Boneshaker — you can find the book here on the Kindle or via this listing at Diesel E-Books. This is literally all the information on the subject I have at my disposal.

• If you are a local (or even local-ish) bookseller and you’d like to get your stock signed, drop me an email at cherie.priest@gmail.com - and I’ll be glad to talk about coming to your store. It might take me a day or two depending on my work load and your location, but I’m always happy to accommodate you if at all possible.
  

It’s been a busy few days over here, I tell you what. Thursday night was the big Boneshaker party at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea, and frankly, it was a blast. I’d had some concerns about turn-out and timing; but Ellen and Suezie rocked the house, Mark was a superlative MC, and a very nice B&N rep named Jessie was present (arranged by Psynde) to sell books. The event was truly a credit to these folks — to their organizational skillz and general awesomeness.

You can see a few pictures here, including shots of yours truly with DJ Eternal Darkness, me and Psynde comparing boots and drinking tea, and my old buddy Avionne from Tennessee — who is here in town with her husband, Gordon (via Scotland, long story).

Then, last night was Aric’s birthday. After birthday presents and red velvet cupcakes,* we got together over at this dark, groovy, chilly little bar called the Stumbling Monk with Torres, John and Krissy, and Kat; and behold, beverages were consumed.

Hmm. What else? Oh yeah - on Friday I got my very first royalty check from Tor, indicating that the Eden Moore series has finally earned out! Everybody, do a little dance with me! [:: shakes it ::] [:: shakes it like a paint mixer ::] I’d long since assumed that the day would never come, but I’ve never before been so happy to be wrong.

And now for the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2080 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 72,112 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Gathered the usual suspects; had conversation about money, what comes next, etc.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: See above, plus housework, errand-running, present-wrapping, day-job work, litter-box changing, short story plotting, researching, reading, and more.

Reason for Stopping: Hubs just got home; we’re going out for a bit, like normal people do on a Saturday night. Just this once.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

And now for the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2060 (meh)
Present Total Word Count: 70,032 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Finally wrapped up that scene. It’s a good scene, and important — but it felt like it took forever to write. I’m sure I’ll get around to the revisions and decide it’s either (a). awesome, or (b). terrible and needs to be cut … but whatever. Sometimes you just have to write through these things, because there’s no pole-vaulting over them or tunneling under them.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; housework; important official correspondences exchanged; visited B&N forums to answer questions; did more prep for tomorrow night’s event; went to post office.

Reason for Stopping: Going to grab a bite to eat before Ellen comes over to do (yet more) prep work for tomorrow’s event. Then we’re going to jaunt out to the airport to pick up our friend Avionne and her husband Gordon, for they are flying in from Scotland to stay for a few days. In advance of having these folks in town and/or having other things eating my life, I think I’ll also try to sneak in some more day-job work, to keep my head above water.

For the next few days, I’ll be lurking around in the Barnes & Noble forums — where Boneshaker is a November book club feature — answering questions and doing my best not to post any spoilers. If you’re a member, drop in for a digital visit and fire away. If you’re not a member, registration is free and easy and only takes a moment.

Here’s your chance to ask me anything you like, or just follow the conversation — whatever makes you happy. Click here to dip your toes in the mayhem.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

The last couple of days have been filled to the brim with errand-running and stuff-doing, including (but not limited to) - grocery shopping, post-office visiting, bank dropping-by, University Book Store stock (and mail order) signing, print framing, house cleaning, laundry washing, official correspondence exchanging, outline jotting, fish tank changing, and event preparations.

That last one may have you wondering … what event?
Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already!
Here, let me refresh your memory.

This coming Thursday, at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea on Capitol Hill,* I’ll be hanging about and signing books and basically having a marvelous time at a most excellent party being thrown by some of my awesome friends. No, seriously. Ellen, Suezie, and Psynde — these three have knocked it out of the park … and into the local establishment where there will be music, costumes, prizes, booze, caffeine, and snacks for the ordering. You can click here for details or heck, just show up some time after six o’clock and join the fray.

Bring your books and I’ll sign them if you like, or buy them at the event. Or forget the books, and just swing by to be social. I’m always happy to meet new people, and Mark Henry will be MC’ing the event. If you’ve never heard Mark MC anything, then you must absolutely not pass up this opportunity. If you have, then I’m already confident that you’ll be in attendance, unwilling to miss it.

This will be an all-ages event, since (a). it’s open to the public, and (b). Boneshaker is a bit of an adult/young adult crossover. Or so I am told. In any event, lots of young adults seem to be reading it, either by swiping it from their parents or nabbing it from a friend. Let me be the first to say I APPROVE OF THIS BEHAVIOR. Please do carry on.

Anyway. It’s coming up on suppertime here and the husband just got home from work, so I’m going to wrap this up and go get myself some noms. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope I’ll see some of you locals later on this week!

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Today Caitlin and I hopped into the Cookie Monster for its inaugural jaunt out of town. We headed out to Snoqualmie — not the pass or the casino or the subdivision acres, but to the tiny frontier town with its adorable old train station, museum, and “downtown” strip.

(I don’t use the quotes to mock Snoqualmie’s downtown. The quotes indicate that this strip is pretty much one street. But it’s a lovely street, and I rather like the place. I’ve been there half a dozen times now, just to hang out and poke around.)

Anyway. The main official purpose for the trip was to acquire some new author photos for yours truly. Caitlin has an awesome camera, and she does a most excellent job of photography … and she works for peanuts. Or for lunch and a ride, and a cup of tea — as the case may be.

I’m going to place the results of our pictorial excursion behind a jump, because I’m just not quite narcissistic enough to want to see several big pictures of myself every time I load the page. I know, I know. I must be getting old or something. Anyway, click the link immediately below this paragraph to take a peek at them (or merely scroll down, if you’re reading this via a feed or direct link.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Finally, finally, finally I think we’ve gotten our vehicle situation sorted out. Finally. Why yes, we DID buy the new (to us) vehicle a couple of weeks ago now. And no, we haven’t been driving it all this time. It’s been this epic Sierra adventure game of how we need to get one thing fixed, but we can’t fix that one thing until we do this other thing, and we can’t do that thing until yet another thing has fallen into place, and that wouldn’t happen until we drank the grog and entered the spitting contest with the pirates, and that can’t happen until more than three people get this joke, which probably won’t occur, etcetera etcetera etcetera.

But. It seems to be sorted out now, down to the insurance and the maniacal giggling. The “Cookie Monster” (as I’ve come to call it) still needs a tiny bit of belt work, but I’ll see if I can arrange for it tomorrow afternoon or Monday, and it shouldn’t be a big deal. Point is, Cookie Monster is ours. Fair and square, in the clear. Now I just have to clean out the old car and call up the PBS donation folks, and then we’ll be back down to one vehicle — it is to be hoped, one vehicle that works pretty much consistently. We pray.

Anyway. I regret to admit that due to the epic run-around and outstanding asshattery from the repair shop,* I got virtually nothing productive accomplished today (except some day-job work, but even that wasn’t as extensive as it should’ve been).

In order to wind down and quit seething, I cleaned house and did the floors, and started some laundry. Now I’m just waiting for the hubs to get home, and I hope he brings booze, because hot damn I could use a drink right about now.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Last night’s event was just a delight — not only because I got to meet Jeff VanderMeer and Cat Rambo, but because the turn-out was wonderful and I only knew a small percentage of the people who showed up. Don’t get me wrong — I am all awash with warm fuzzies when friends come out to be supportive; but it’s always exciting when strangers show up, because it surprises the hell out of me.

I sold a bunch of books and signed them. So did Jeff and Cat. We had good readings and lots of fun, and I am utterly pleased to make the formal acquaintance of them both.

And now for the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 2186
Present Total Word Count: 67,972 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Not enough. Didn’t even finish the scene I was working on the other day; this was kind of a weirdly difficult work day. Not sure why it took me all day to get barely 2200 words out. I’ll try to get a better handle on it tomorrow. And at least I’m still ahead of goal, which is to average a thousand words a day between now and December.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; some shopping (but I forgot some of the stuff I need); did other assorted errand-running.

Reason for Stopping: I need a break. So I’m going to take one, and then start fiddling with another story I’m trying to write (due at the end of this month).

• Why I destroyed Seattle for the sake of steampunk - A very silly piece by yours truly, up at Omnivoracious right now. And you locals, don’t forget: Tomorrow night, University Book Store, me plus Jeff VanderMeer plus Cat Rambo equals awesome. (Note: You should never trust my math skillz, but you should totally trust Jeff and Cat to make things awesome.)

• Stealing an adorable GIF banner from Tor.com - Well, I suppose I stole it with permission. And I’ve also been given permission to pass it around, so by all means, if you’re interested help yourself. Likewise, feel free to direct it to the bookseller of your choosing. If you don’t have an image server, you can hotlink off me. I don’t mind.

• Amazon.com’s editorial Best-Of 2009 picks - And as if making Publishers Weekly’s best-of list wasn’t enough, Boneshaker makes this one, too! If you scroll around, you’ll see that I’m in excellent company. I’m so thrilled - two lists in one day! (Since I found out about this last night.) [:: does a little dance ::]

• Victoria Steam Exposition, May of 2010 in Victoria, British Columbia - This is a personal first for me, folks … I’m going to be their guest of honour! With an extra vowel in “honour” and everything! I am so excited about this that I can hardly believe I have to wait until next year. Life is so unfair! But boy, this is going to be wild.
  

Here are the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 4022
Present Total Word Count: 65,786 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Began to navigate a truly tense situation via phone, wherein a teenage boy is trapped inside a warehouse that’s being raided by evil government agents–and Raylene is thousands of miles away, unable to help except to talk him through it.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work; went to post office; did some online birthday shopping for zee husband; that’s pretty much it.

Reason for Stopping: I need a snack. I’m gonna go make one.

It’s dark already, and I’ve written little enough today to bother remarking it with a word meter. But the husband will be gone part of this evening, so I’ll try to do a little catching-up tonight. Even so, I feel like the day is a waste from a productivity standpoint. Le sigh.

Wow. It’s been a few days since I updated. Well, let’s see. The Secret Garden event was a blast; I got to meet some very cool local authors with whom I was previously unacquainted, and the kids were a hoot. Also, there were many great snacks and I ate so much sugar that I came to regret it later.

Likewise, Mark Henry’s Halloween party was a scream; I spent the evening dressed as a “slutty Amelia Earhart” (as one too-old-to-be-trick-or-treating dude put it)*, and I bogarted the front door so I could hand out candy to all the little kids. Mark’s neighborhood is chock full of little kids, most of whom were super-cute and very polite. It was a lot of fun!

The Rock Band marathon in Mark’s living room was also a lot of fun. Here’s a pic of me looking on while Psynde rocks out to an old White Zombie tune.

That’s Caitlin on bass, and Aric’s head poking into the bottom of the shot.

Earlier, I had torn up the vocals on “Don’t Stop Believing” much to my husband’s disbelief. I don’t think he’d ever heard me sing before, much less in front of God and everybody. Somehow, this revelation did not chase him screaming into the night. Instead, he whipped out his iPhone and started taking video. Naturally, he caught the moment wherein the young daughter of another guest tugged on my elbow and informed me that I was frightening the dogs.

If he uploads it, I might link to it for giggles.

Anyway! In other news — which is to say, in the very best news of the day — Boneshaker has made it onto Publishers Weekly’s Best-Of 2009 list! Seriously! Just scroll down to the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror section to see for yourself. I don’t mind telling you, I did a little bootydance when this news reached me.

I’m immensely proud of Boneshaker, and I’m constantly relieved and flattered by how well it’s been received. This book is lucky number seven for me, and I hope the good reviews and (what appear to be) steady sales bode well for the future of the franchise.

Right. So. Since I started writing this post, the husband has come home from work, hung around, chatted with me, and left for his martial arts class. I suppose that means it’s time for me to buckle down and try to salvage the day’s word count.

Have a good evening, everyone.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Don’t forget! Tonight from 7-9ish (or whenever) p.m. you’ll find me spookin’ up the joint over at the Secret Garden bookstore in Ballard. Swing by and say hello - and visit with me, other readers, and some other writers, too.

And here are the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! half-Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 7445 (over the last 2 days)
Present Total Word Count: 61,764 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Went excavating in a graveyard in a grave that isn’t a grave; bickered; pulled together some clues into a nasty revelation.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work all morning; took new vehicle off to shop in order to get exhaust system fixed (we knew it needed fixing when we bought it); did some day-job reading, too.

Reason for Stopping: Time to go pick up the vehicle and/or get ready for the Secret Garden event. Hope to see you there! At the event, not at the vehicle …

First of all, let me give a huge and hearty thanks to everyone who’s posted about Boneshaker — reviewing it, talking about it, recommending it, and otherwise being the best damn digital support group a girl could ask for. Seriously, you’ve been amazing! And I couldn’t do it without you.

And second of all, here I go again, running more programming on the Boneshaker Channel. Momentum has been good so far, but I fear it’s beginning to taper off; and the promotion that’s kept this book front and center at Barnes & Noble is drawing to a close; so I kind of feel like this last bit of October is a Last Chance Push — a final major attempt to keep it visible and selling.

Therefore, I come to you, the readers … asking for just a little more indulgence on your part. Please allow me to present a few more Boneshaker links, for your clicking pleasure:

• Boneshaker is in-stock and ready to ship at Amazon - So if you’ve been waiting, or if you’ve had a hard time locating it locally, there’s no time like the present to pick it up. Or if you’ve already read it, I’d be forever grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review or two.

• Tor.com offers free and fabulous Boneshaker desktop/wallpaper art - People have been asking me about this for awhile now; but until Tor.com made the big files available, I didn’t know what to say. Well, here you go! Have at! Click, download, and call it an afternoon. A very fancy afternoon …

• Jon Armstrong is kind enough to interview me - Click the link to find me over on his outstanding podcast, “If You’re Just Joining Us.” Don’t do it for me. Do it to hear Jon’s groovy radio-dude voice, and to hear us talk about the Seattle Underground, Boneshaker, book promotions, and all kinds of other rambly stuff.

• Hey Seattle-area locals - Whatcha doing on November 4th? - Because at 7:00 over at the University Book Store, I’ll be reading and signing with Jeff VanderMeer and Cat Rambo. AND IT’S GONNA ROCK.

• Hey Seattle-area locals, Part Deux - Whatcha doing on November 12? Because I’ll be having a Boneshaker celebratory event on Capital Hill, right on Fifteenth Avenue. Click that link for the Facebook page with all the details, and if you’re in the area, please stop by! We’ll have prizes. We’ll have schwag. We’ll have books for sale and signing. We’ll have a heck of a time, but it’ll be even better if you join us!
  

Thanks again for reading, and as always, thanks for taking a chance on my books. Or at least, thanks for listening to me go on, and on, and on, and on about them.

:)

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Here are the recent stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! half-Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written: 3482
Present Total Word Count: 54,319 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Darling du Jour: “So he stood in my kitchen, leaning over the bar and glistening with sweat — and a dusting of leftover glitter. That stuff really is the gift that keeps on giving.”

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Discovered backstory and may have offed somebody’s parents, accidentally. Then again, maybe they’re fine. Also, got a refreshing phone call from the client, who seems to be as hale and hardy as a blind dead man can reasonably be.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Day-job work all morning; grocery shopping; delivered a couple of books to the staff where my event will be held next month; went to bank; did laundry; made phone calls.

Reason for Stopping: Time to go get that laundry out of the dryer.

It will not surprise regular readers of this blog that in the second half of this year, I’ve had three major deadlines. The first two are already put to bed (at least their Draft Ones are): Dreadnought was due at the beginning of August, and my Fort Freak portion was due on October 15. Deadline #3 is the next up: Bloodshot for Bantam by December 12. Hey, better too much work than not enough, right?

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Self, wasn’t Cherie only, like, halfway through a Draft Zero on that project?” Well, you’d be right. I left off somewhere around 47,000 words of an estimated 95,000. And it has not escaped my attention that I now have about six weeks to write the other 40,000 words or so.

It doesn’t particularly freak me out.* I have the whole thing plotted, after all–and I’ve found progress on this project to be swift and entertaining. After spending a few years writing creepy gothic stuff or outright horror, it’s a hoot to have a project where I can let myself be a little more light-hearted … and even funny. Don’t get me wrong — this is still a dark urban fantasy adventure; but there’s definitely something playful about it.

Anyway, as I’m well aware, it’s going to be a lot of work to finish this quickly. But really, I’m looking forward to it.**

By way of reinstating my daily stats and progress notes, I must begin somewhat afresh. I don’t remember where I left off in my word counts, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be too meaningful. I’ve edited some sections out and added some sections in, and today I wrote a couple thousand fresh words to get myself back into the groove.

So. Here are the present stats for the fabulous urban fantasy adventure about a neurotic vampire/thief and her wealthy blind client, now with Bonus! half-Cuban drag queen and military intrigue:

Project: Bloodshot
New Words Written Today: Unknown
Present Total Word Count: 50,837 words
Goal: 95,000 words by December 12





Things Accomplished in Fiction: Escaped a raid on a drag bar; became barefoot and nasty; got the hell out of Dodge.

Things Accomplished in Real Life: Went out to the Department of Licensing and picked up (a). affidavit in lieu of title (lost the Doom Sentra’s title some time ago) and all the helpful little slips of official paper that will make it easier to sell the thing; puttered around the neighborhood in our new (used) vehicle, purchased the other day; no (a). it’s not a classic, alas, and (b). I won’t tell you what it is, only that it has been named “The Cookie Monster” and you may infer whatever you like; went to University Books and visited with Duane, signed stock, etcetera; did day-job work as per usual.

Stumbling blocks: It took me a bit to get back in the mindset of this one. The last two protagonists (the last two I’ve written at length, anyway) have been very, very different from Raylene — the heroine of Bloodshot. So I spent some time rereading the last few chapters (even though I reread the whole thing last week) and refamiliarizing myself with how she talks, and how she thinks. But now I think I’ve got a decent handle on it, so it’s full steam ahead …

Reason for Stopping: Husband came home, and it’s time for supper.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

We’re back from Steamcon–which was 100% awesome. Saw some old friends, made a few new ones; ogled many outstanding costumes, sat on some exceptionally good panels; wore lots of clothes, bought a couple of tee shirts. Really, I think one of the most telling things about Steamcon was how (as my husband put it) everyone seemed really happy to be there.

Absolutely delightful, from start to finish.
Two thumbs up, and one bustle a’swishing.

And here’s me and the hubs on Saturday night, after a little rum.

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

I’m wrapping up the last of my packing over here, nomming on a sandwich and trying to figure out what the hell I’m forgetting. I know I’m forgetting something. I always forget something. But I’ve got one full suitcase of costuming stuff and one (much smaller) suitcase with the regular necessities; and at this point if I’ve left anything out, I’ll have to survive without it.

Yes, in just a little bit I’ll be headed off for SteamCon. If you’re attending, I very much hope to see you there! If you’re not, feel free to keep up with the intermittent shenanigans via my Twitter feed and/or my Twitpic stream.

I won’t have a laptop over the weekend, but I’ll have my phone–whereby I can check my email, take/upload pictures, and post to Twitter. But I can’t reply to anything except actual text messages, sent to this phone. Well, technically I can reply to emails too; but I’m dealing with a keyboard that’s half the size of a credit card, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I tend not to (except in case of emergency). Therefore, please pardon the relative radio silence that’s bound to descend upon this page for the next few days.

Anyway. Time for the last-minute round-up of stuff. Thanks for reading, everyone, and by all means follow along via the links above while I’m absent.

:)

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

This afternoon my editor Liz came to town in advance of SteamCon this weekend. She came bearing luggage, some news, and some really awesome pictures of her as a mermaid*. Good times were had with her and Caitlin, lunch was obtained, and future shenanigans will most definitely occur. But first: Links!

• November at PW’s Genreville - Boneshaker will be the official bookclub selection! I love Publishers Weekly in general and Genreville in particular, so I’m immensely flattered that they chose my latest for their crew.

• The Literary Omnivore - Reviewed Boneshaker and rather liked it.

• See also: Only the Best SciFi and Fantasy - Also came down on the side of Boneshaker win.

• Ditto Robots and Vamps -Which, let me say, is an awesome name for a blog.

• Boneshaker still hot at Amazon - And I’m not above begging for reviews. As I’ve demonstrated. Repeatedly.

• Newly carved pumpkins - Just so this isn’t TOTALLY a shameless Boneshaker Channel post.
  

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]

Tonight, 7:00 p.m. at the University Book Store in the u-district, Justine Larbalestier will be slinging by and reading from her killer new book Liar. IT WILL BE AWESOME. But don’t take my word for it. Come on out and see for yourself.

In other news, I’m going to be a busy, busy woman this week so posting might be light. But don’t forget: SteamCon starts this Friday. IT TOO WILL BE AWESOME. And I have to say, they’ve got a really strong, diverse panel track–especially for a brand new convention. It honestly impressed me with its lack of the same old “What is Steampunk?” fodder.

In other other news, there is no news on a “new” car yet. We checked out a couple more vehicles over the weekend, and were greatly disappointed with the TruthInAdvertisingFAIL and/or blasphemous pricing on vehicles that don’t actually run. It was pretty epic.

We even had somebody’s nosy neighbors call the cops on us while we were investigating a vehicle which (a). we’d called ahead about checking out, and (b). had been left on the street, partly so we could see it and partly because (c). it had a blown carburetor which they didn’t tell us until we were already on the way out there, and (d). amusingly enough, this RATHER SIGNIFICANT DEFECT only barely lowered the price oh HAHAHAH.

Ah, well. We’ve got a couple of queries in to a couple of other listings, so maybe something useful will dawn today. You never know. It could happen.

P.S. - Boneshaker’s gathering Amazon reviews! Thank heavens. Anyone else who’s interested in doing likewise is more than welcome to do so, I assure you.

At the moment, Amazon is really one of the more reliable places from whence this book can be acquired; I’m hearing about it selling out and being reordered in a lot of places–which is a good problem to have, but still a problem. So if you’re having trouble locating Boneshaker, try Amazon (see above link), or try Tor.com, where it’s on sale for 30% off for the month of October.

If you’re local to Seattle, I happen to know first-hand that the B&N downtown has copies, the Borders downtown should have copies, and the Elliot Bay Bookstore has a few signed copies.*

[Crossposted to/from my website. If you'd like to comment, you can do so either here or there.]