Around this time in the release cycle, I get lots of people asking me what they can do to help. This is because people are awesome sometimes. So here is a handy list for day eight of our pre-release countdown, telling you what you can do to make the release of A Local Habitation as good as a book release gets.

8 Things You Can Do To Help.

8. Post book reviews. Your blog, Goodreads, Amazon, wherever. (Don't post them in the comments of someone else's blog unless they've asked you for book recommendations. That's rude, and may have the opposite of the desired effect. But other than that...) Book reviews give people an idea of a thing, and can tell them whether it's something they want to read.

7. Check with your local library to be sure they have a copy of A Local Habitation on order and, if they don't, fill out a library request form. Spread the paperback love!

6. While we're on the subject of libraries, remember that many libraries, especially on the high school level, are really strapped for cash right now, and that book donations are frequently tax deductible. If you have a few bucks to spare, you can improve the world on multiple levels by donating books to your local public and high school libraries.

5. Do not expect immediate email response from me for anything short of "you promised us this interview, it runs tomorrow, where are your answers?" I normally make an effort to be a semi-competent correspondent, but with the book dropping in eight days, I've hit the stage where I flail around and scream "ICE WORMS!" a lot, which doesn't help me answer email.

4. Do not email me my Amazon reviews. I don't read them, I don't want to read them, and I really, really don't want them ambushing me in my inbox. Please show mercy, and don't share.

3. Please don't ask me when book three is coming out. I may cry (also, the answer is "September").

2. When you visit a bookstore and discover that they don't have any copies in stock/on order, don't be unpleasant. Just politely suggest that it may be something they'd want to carry. Unless they're, like, a non-fiction bookstore specializing in travel books. In that case, don't.

1. Buy the book. Brick-and-mortar store purchases are best, as they encourage reordering. After that, Amazon or mail order purchases, and after that, e-book purchases (which do not count the same way against my sell-through). If you've already bought the book, consider buying the book again, as a single copy might get lonely. They make great gifts!

First up, do you remember when I met with that reporter, and there were all those things I wasn't supposed to talk about? Well, the article has finally appeared in my local newspaper, and is available now for you to read and enjoy. Marvel at how non-terrified the reporter seems! Delight in the funky quotes from my friends, peers, and former teachers! And be glad you can't see the picture from the print edition, 'cause it was terrible.

Meanwhile, I've been doing my pre-release tour of the wild book blogs, and have written a guest blog for SFF Insider in which I discuss the differences between Toby's world and the fairy tales we all remember.

I also dropped by Confessions of a Wandering Heart for a guest blog, this one on what it's like to be (and put up with) a working author, especially one with my...amazing talent...for stacking deadlines right on top of one another. It's a gift. And a curse.

And now, some reviews. Fresh Fiction has reviewed A Local Habitation, and says, "Seanan McGuire has built a beautifully detailed world here—so much so that at times, especially early in the book, I felt a bit lost, not having read the previous novel. But the characters are what drew me in: Toby is a tough, cynical heroine, yet like many of us mere mortals, she is still searching for her place in life; Quentin at first seems to be a stereotypical teenager but develops surprising maturity and courage; no character is stock or trite—everyone is fully realized, with quirks, moods and abilities, from the Dryad April to Tybalt, King of Cats. Fans of urban fantasy should definitely check out this series!"

Cool. Library Journal has spoken up, and says "Second in an urban fantasy detective series featuring a resourceful female detective, this sequel to Rosemary and Rue should appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files as well as the novels of Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, and similar authors." Good company to be in!

Lurv ala Mode is a great review site that's always been awesome to me, and the latest long, detailed review of A Local Habitation is no different, managing to be detailed and meaty and yet also spoiler-free. The review begins, "I’m not big on fae as the main character type in fantasy books. They’re a very hard sell for me and I don’t tend to cut this particular type of mythology and lore much slack. I’m not a fan of the wispy, airy quality that comes with so much of it. I like it dark. I like it gritty. I like it with a lot more meat on the bones. McGuire’s series, two books strong now, answers this need." Yay!

It goes on to say "Coming in second in a series is pretty tough. I think firsts in a new series have it tough as well, but seconds do for different reasons, namely can they live up to a hugely successful first. Considering how much I loved the first book, I think A Local Habitation continues the adventures of October Daye just about perfectly. There’s no doubt that Toby is a fresh and wonderful character in the urban fantasy genre. Without a doubt in my mind, I’m definitely looking forward to more. The third book, An Artificial Night, releases September 2010."

And that's all for today.