Welcome to October, season of mists, mellow fruitfulness, and occasional accounting. I'm prepping for the winter, and that means paperwork. So here, then, is the October 2012 current projects post. The snows are coming, and we're almost ready to put a freeze on the year.

Anyway, this is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Midnight Blue-Light Special, Parasite). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

You may or may not remember that I've got a story appearing in A Fantasy Medley 2 from Subterranean Press, due out this November. This is a spectacularly lovely limited-edition book, featuring stories from me, Tanya Huff, Amanda Downum, and Jasper Kent. And when I say "limited," I mean it: the print run is restricted to 224 numbered copies signed by the authors and editor, and 1,500 fully cloth bound hardcover copies. That's it. No more copies will be made.

But! That's not all! We just got a starred review from Publishers Weekly! You can read the full review right here, and here's what they had to say about my story, "Rat-Catcher":

"Seanan McGuire's "Rat-Catcher," set hundreds of years before her October Daye books, is both charming and gut-wrenching."

Yay!

So anyway, I'm just gonna leave the link to the ordering page over here, for those who might be interested. It really is a beautiful book, and if you want to read Tybalt's origin story, this is the way to do it.

(Note: "Rat-Catcher" happens hundreds of years before the main series, and doesn't impact anything. It's just background. I really love it, but it is not essential to read and enjoy the books. I promise.)

Squee!

I...appear to have missed a month. Which is a little terrifying, given how careful I have reliably been about making these posts. There you go: that is how fried I was over the Hugos. Here, then, is the September 2012 current projects post. Most of the year is gone. Like, we are in the final color block of my planner, and it's terrible.

Anyway, this is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Midnight Blue-Light Special, Parasite). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

...but this song ain't country. It's just another folk song about a train.

I am pleased as punch to announce that Rose Marshall—everybody's favorite hitchhiking ghost, although she's not likely to randomly follow you home from Disneyland—will be stepping out on another adventure. The story is called "Train Yard Blues," and it will be appearing in the anthology Coins of Chaos, out October 2013.

The nice thing about Rose is that there are huge gaps in her story, years and even decades where nothing has yet been written...and since she's basically impossible to kill, I can throw anything the ghostroads have to offer at her during those, ahem, dead spaces.

In "Train Yard Blues," we get our first clear look at another of the twilight ecologies: the ghostrails, where once the trainspotters ruled the world, before the rise of the roads to their current place of power. New ghosts, new dangers, and new rules are waiting, as Rose does her best to navigate a place she doesn't belong without finding herself in a world of hurt.

Coins of Chaos. Because my poor dead girl's life wasn't chaotic enough.

I am about to leave for Worldcon, which means my brain is like a mutant gerbil running on a wheel that powers a nuclear reactor. It's a little painful. Anyway, in an effort to keep the gerbil busy (and thus keep it from accidentally melting the West Coast), where is a file-clearing review roundup. (Hint: the file is not actually clear.)

Mike Jones, who has known me since I was fourteen, reviewed Deadline and Blackout for Tor.com, and says, " Bottom line: you're not going to find a better political thriller/science fiction/post zombie apocalypse adventure out there. If you do, tell me so I can read it!" Aw, yay.

Little Red Reviewer actually reviewed my short story, "Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage," and said, "As I am quickly learning, Seanan McGuire is pure magic." I AM A UNICORN OF GOODNESS AND JOY. And zombies.

Journey vs. Destination has posted a review of the Newsflesh trilogy, and says, "The zombie book got me on the first page. It sucked me in so much that at the end of the first chapter of my free book, I went back to the first book in the trilogy, bought it, and devoured it. Then back to the Hugo packet to read the second. Then bought the third." Best recommendation ever.

Let's mix it up a little: Leigh Caroline has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says many things, although there are no good pull quotes. Check it out.

Geek Speak Magazine (to which I am an occasional contributor) posted a review of Blackout, and says, "Mira Grant's finale to her trilogy is among the more satisfying conclusions to a series I have ever read, one where even the dreaded coda to the tale (and believe me, I usually hate anything smacking of an epilogue) does not detract from the overall feeling of triumphant, if a tad bittersweet, closure." I am well-pleased.

And finally for today, Read This Book Damnit has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, " In short Seanan McGuire has done it again. From fae in San Francisco, to a post-apocalyptic zombie future, and now a tango dancing cryptozoologist, she has entertained me with every book I've read to date. I hereby formally suspend any future disbelief in her choice of subject matter to write and will, instead, just shut up and read." VICTORY!

With that, I take the gerbil for a walk.

I promised you a treat to celebrate the impending release of Ashes of Honor, and here it is:

A brand-new story about the Luidaeg, "In Sea-Salt Tears," has been posted on the equally brand-new Toby Daye short fiction page. It is available in ePub, MOBI, and PDF formats, and is free for download. (So far, this is the only free Toby-universe short story. We'll be adding listings for the published-in-books shorts in a little while, but it's not hyper-high priority.)

This story is best read after One Salt Sea, and it further details the relationship between the Luidaeg and Elizabeth Ryan, the Selkie clan leader we met at the very end of the book. Please download rather than trying to read locally; my server will thank you.

Cover graphics are by Tara O'Shea. All short story electronic conversion thus far has been done by scifantasy. As both of them are awesome, we applaud them now.

Go forth, read, and please feel free to use this as a discussion post, which means there may be spoilers in the comments. Tread carefully.

Enjoy.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there's some news about When Will You Rise?. Most specifically, Publishers Weekly has given When Will You Rise? a starred review!

Here's a link to the actual review.

Here's a quote from the actual review:

"Grant excels in humanizing her characters and surrounding them with believable science and circumstances. The surefooted storytelling is mesmerizing as all-too-plausible dilemmas snowball into desperation and catastrophe."

I AM THE DESTROYER OF ALL HAPPINESS AND JOY! TREMBLE BEFORE ME! I mean...ahem. Isn't that a nice review? Isn't it nice to get a starred review for a nice book like that one? If you haven't ordered your copy yet, you totally should.

I am happy.

But first, a note:

I wasn't able to draw the winners when I originally said that I would, because planning and prep for Spocon got away from me. I apologize for that. At the same time, if something happens to prevent my posting winners immediately—and we live in a chaotic environment; things happen—please don't start emailing, Facebook messaging, and Tweeting me asking whether I've drawn the winners. When I draw the winners, I post them here. All you do by following me to other forums to ask why I'm late is make my stubborn kick in, and then I wind up even later.

Selecting winners takes time. I need to feed the data into the RNG, and then count, by hand, to be sure that ineligible comments (followups on original comments, comments which do not follow the stated rules) aren't selected as the winners. It can take up to half an hour, with something like this, where there are multiple factors involved. My having time to tweet from the airport doesn't mean I have time to sit and count.

Thank you for understanding.

And now...

Winning an ARC of A Fantasy Medley 2, georgiamagnolia!
Winning an ARC of When Will You Rise?, apocalypticbob!

You each have twenty-four hours to send me a mailing address, and thank you for playing! More giveaways to come!

Words: 2,125.
Total words: 65,130.
Reason for stopping: I need to shower and finish packing.
The cats: Alice, eating; Thomas, unknown; Lilly, currently on top of my foot.
Music: Florence and the Machine.

So it's later than I like to be up, and I would have stopped half an hour ago if I hadn't needed to make word count. Which begs the question of "why are you making word count so late?" I'm glad you asked! I actually finished "In Sea-Salt Tears," which is a short story giving a little more background on Elizabeth Ryan, the Selkie clan leader we met at the end of One Salt Sea (and yes, the title similarity is intentional).

I really like this story, and even more, I really like being able to go and fill in things that Toby doesn't know, and doesn't need to know, because they're not her stories. She's not the only person who's ever lived in Faerie and had a story worth telling.

I am happy.

...merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

Today's first review comes from libris_leonis, who has posted a review of "Countdown", and says, "This is a grim, compact little story that works really well, but also really grimly; not uplifting, but certainly excellent, although it does require knowledge of the Newsflesh world to really work to its full effect." Yay!

You know, that review was so nice, let's visit the reviewer twice. libris_leonis has also posted a review of "San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats", and says, "Overall, "San Diego 2014" showcases Grant's best talents; emotionally resonant and effective work, drawing out similarities between characters and readers, and the occasional (more common here than across the rest of the Newsflesh cycle) reference to modern geek culture. A very nice novella." Hooray!

Sadly, one reviewer does not a full roundup make, and so we move on. The Mad Reviewer has posted a review of Blackout, and says, "Funny, dark, suspenseful and full of plot twists, Blackout was no disappointment. And it even had a satisfying, if not entirely happy, ending. What else could I really ask for?" A pony. You can always, always ask for a pony.

Persephone Reads has posted a review of Late Eclipses, and says, "For every knock she takes—and this installment’s knocks would make a heavyweight prizefighter proud—Toby finds a way to get back on her feet. She’s not invincible; she sways and stumbles, but she stands when others might fall. In these pages, Toby’s brand of strength and vulnerability found its sweet spot. It’s no great shock that I continue to be a pom-pom wielding, card carrying member of her cheer squad." Go Fighting Pumpkins!

The Family Addiction has posted a fun, and funny, review of Discount Armageddon. There are no really good pull quotes this time, but it's definitely worth clicking through.

A Modern Hypatia (love the name) has posted a review of Deadline, and says, "Deadline is also an amazingly strong second book—often the weakness of trilogies. There are some places that's obvious (especially the end), but the beginning does a great job of easing you back into the world and reminding you how things work before the story accelerates (which it does quite rapidly.) And then there's a solid plot that both serves this book, but is clearly laying down foundation for a powerful conclusion." Victory is mine!

Finally for today's extremely random review roundup, Monsters and Critics has posted a review of Home Improvement: Undead Edition, and says, "This collection is a treat; the stories are strong and most reward the reader with a pleasing plot twist. The paranormal element added to the mundane yet trying experience of home or business renovation was an inspired theme certain to strike a cord with anyone who has lived the experience. Just the thing to enjoy on a languid summer day with a tall glass of cold lemonade." Works for me.

So that's me purging a little more of the link file. Look for more of these in the next few weeks, as I struggle to get things under control before Ashes of Honor hits shelves.

In addition to the much-vaunted (and very pretty) Ashes of Honor ARCs, I currently have ARCs for two, yes two different Subterranean Press books. One, A Fantasy Medley 2, contains the first-ever Tybalt-centric novella, "Rat-Catcher," which explains how he first came to be a King of Cats, the origins of his name, and why, when pressed, he sometimes introduces himself to humans as "Rand Stratford." The other, When Will You Rise?, is a collection of two Mira Grant short pieces that have not previously been published in physical form. Both will be coming out this fall, as gorgeous, limited edition volumes.

Understandably, these are even more limited than normal ARCs. But they're worth the read (and the finished books...hoo, nelly). So what's a girl to do?

Give some stuff away, naturally. Specifically, one copy of each Subterranean Press ARC.

This particular giveaway is open to US residents or to non-US residents who feel like paying postage. I'm very sorry about the restriction, there, but I'm in the middle of convention season, and I don't have the spare dollars right now. To enter...

1. Comment with which book you'd like to win, and why.
2. Give your best plea to the Random Number Generator.
3. If you're a non-US resident, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.

I will use the RNG to choose three potential winners for each book, and then choose the plea I like best. Yes, that makes it a little arbitrary, but only a little. Winners will be selected on Wednesday, August 8th, at noon PST. The usual twenty-four hour window will then apply.

Game on!

ETA: Guys, don't tell me why you want to win/why you should win; tell the RNG why you, above all others, are the predestined owner of the book. I want you to bribe the random number generator like a corrupt politician. Have fun! Don't just tell me "because I want it." If you didn't, you wouldn't be here!

Evil pie!

We open today with Paul Goat Allen's review of the entire Newflesh trilogy, which he calls "an instant classic." He also says, "The narrative supremacy of this trilogy is unquestionable: both Feed and Deadline were nominated for the Hugo Award (in 2011 and 2012, respectively)—and Blackout is arguably the strongest of the three!"

I do not have words for how happy this review makes me. It...if just one person feels this way, I did it right. And that's amazing.

Meanwhile, Calliope's Domain has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "The writing of this book definitely had a lighter, funner tone than Ms. McGuire's October Daye series that, in my opinion, really let stand out. Heck, if not for her name on the cover, I never would have guessed the same author wrote both series; a true accomplishment, I think, for any author writing multiple series." That is a huge compliment. Thank you so much.

MiB Reviews has reviewed Blackout, and says, "One of the great assets that the Newsflesh trilogy has is the way that every book is a different type of story. Atop the overused backdrop of the zombie apocalypse, we have a novel about a conspiracy to sabotage a political campaign by a fanatic from the point of view of a calm, seasoned journalist; an action-packed romp against impossible odds where the villains just can't help but to blow everything up; and now we have a story where simply surviving and living in peace requires helping genetic experiments escape from labs and uncovering the biggest government conspiracy in US history. There might be another author who's blended zombies and one of these genres together so seamlessly, but I doubt that anyone else has done so as well, or done so three times." This is what winning looks like!

Sigrid Ellis has posted a review of Wicked Girls that calls the album "Hugo-Award-worthy" and says "This is the engagement that makes our beloved fantasy and science fiction world bigger, braver, and stronger for the future. And it’s a good album, besides. Making comparisons to other artists is tricky, because not everyone likes the same things I like. But I found—and this is high compliment—that the lyrics reminded me of a sort of cross between the poetry of John M. Ford and the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. Bleak and cynical and stupid-stubbornly hopeful, my favorite kind of thing." I...oh my sweet Great Pumpkin. I am so touched.

Tom Knapp rounds out today's roundup with a review of When Will You Rise?, about which he says, "Grant, in just over a hundred pages, creates a fully realized disaster, and readers will understand the science behind it. It's a short, punchy book that makes you want to read more." Everybody dies!

That's it for right now. Thank you to all readers, and all reviewers, whether I find and link your review or not. I am so honored.

Life is good.

To celebrate the release of "San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats," here. Have an open thread to discuss the novella. It's been out for a week, I figure you've had time.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Seriously. If anyone comments here at all, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So please don't read and then yell at me because you encountered spoilers. You were warned. (I will not reply to every comment; I call partial comment amnesty. But I may well join some of the discussion, or answer questions or whatnot.)

You can also start a discussion at my website forums, with less need to be concerned that I will see everything you say! In case you wanted, you know, discussion free of authorial influence, since I always wind up getting involved in these things.

Have fun, and you can't stop the signal.

I'm a couple of days late, due to that whole "I was in San Diego on the 15th, trying not to be engulfed by the crowd and cast into the sea," but this is the July 2012 current projects post, because we are using this year up like cheap single-ply toilet paper. It's distressing. Anyway, this is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Ashes of Honor, Midnight Blue-Light Special, Parasite). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

For the last several months, a story titled "Rat-Catcher" has appeared on my inchworm girl lists, always under the "publication date unknown" header. Rumors have flown. Well. Rumors have sort of limped around and then napped under the table, because we're all pretty tired, so it's hard to get too excited over things that I keep promising to discuss later.

Later is here.

I am flat-out ecstatic to announce that "Rat-Catcher" will be appearing in A Fantasy Medley 2, to be published by Subterranean Press on November 30th, 2012. It's one of four stories in the book, joining original pieces by Tanya Huff, Amanda Downum, and Jasper Kent. A Fantasy Medley 2 will be available both as a signed hardcover, and as a trade edition. Both editions are extremely limited. Seriously. Order early.

Learn more about A Fantasy Medley 2, and place your orders here!

"Rat-Catcher" is the first story set in Toby's world but not featuring Toby at all. Instead, it focuses on Tybalt before he was Tybalt, back when he was Rand, a Prince of Cats living in the city of London. Meet his family, see him take the first steps toward becoming the man we know and love today, and see how the world looks through someone else's eyes!

I am so excited. Like, seriously, seriously excited. The cover is gorgeous, the authors involved in the project are top-notch, and I can't wait for you to read this story.

November!

Happy, happy day! Because guess what's coming to the United Kingdom? Well, according to Amazon.uk, that would be the Orbit Short Fiction Program. And feast your eyes on this lovely little snippet of internet-y goodness:

An order link for the UK edition of "Countdown."

This is just the Amazon.uk link, not any other platform, but still, this is a huge step forward, and means that soon, it will be a heck of a lot easier for non-US readers to get their hands on my Newsflesh novellas. According to Amazon.uk, the release date is July 2nd.

Hooray!

I am really, really happy about the fact that "Lost" has just been reprinted in Lightspeed Magazine. "Lost" was originally published in Ravens in the Library, and it was, through accident of timing, my very first physical publication (I had one story printed first, "Let's Pretend," but that was and has remained web-only). It's a story about pirates, and children, and running away, and what it costs to have everything you wanted, and how much of that cost is paid by the people you leave behind. I love it a lot. And you can read it again now, if you missed it the first time.

"Lost" at Lightspeed Magazine.

Lightspeed also did an author spotlight on me, to talk about the story:

Seanan McGuire author spotlight at Lightspeed Magazine.

Finally, for right now, I've published another poem, "Wounds," in the June issue of Apex. It's about wizards, and mermaids, and the price of magic, and how much we hurt each other.

"Wounds" at Apex Magazine.

And that's June!

It is now time for the June 2012 current projects post, which holy fuckweasels and little fishes, how is it already June 15th? How have we used up half this year? How?! I do not approve. But whether I approve or not, this is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Ashes of Honor, Midnight Blue-Light Special). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

Hello, boys and ghouls. It's your friendly internet horror hostess with the most...machetes...coming at you with another update in the zombie roller coaster ride that is my work as Mira Grant. Specifically, I want to let you all know that "San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats," is now available for pre-order.

Click here for all the exciting details!

This stand-alone novella follows the events of the last San Diego International Comic Convention after the Rising, and is framed, narratively, by Mahir Gowda's interview of the only known survivor of the event, Lorelei J. Tutt (USCG, Retired). We already know how it ends; we already know how it began. What matters is what happened in the middle.

"San Diego 2014" is being released via the Orbit Short Fiction program, and will be available in just about all ebook formats on July 11th, 2012. The retail cost is $2.99. While Orbit is working on getting the program up and running in other regions, it is currently US-only. I'm sorry about that, and you should contact Orbit if you have any questions.

Zombies!

I've spoken before about my love of fanfic, and how it allows you to do things you can't necessarily do "in canon." One of those things, one of my favorite things, is the alternate universe. What would have happened if Toby had never become a fish? If Thomas had convinced Alice to go back to the Covenant with him, instead of leaving it for her?

If someone else had been the first to die?

I have written an alternate ending to Feed, picking up at what was originally chapter twenty-five. It's called Fed, and I'm very pleased with it, in part because it shows that no, the original ending wasn't the worst possible outcome. This was.

Fed is kindly being hosted by Orbit, thus preventing me from becoming a blibbering mess in the week leading up to the release of Blackout, and for right now, you can download and read by liking the Facebook page they've set up specifically for this purpose. (It's getting a one-week Facebook exclusive for marketing purposes, and I surely would appreciate it if you went and hit the "like" button.) This is full of spoilers, so I recommend against reading it if you haven't read Feed.

Rise up while you can.

And now, the May 2012 current projects post, which makes me a little sad, because I made the April post from Cat's place in Maine, and I am not in Maine now. Oh, well. This is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout, Ashes of Honor). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

It's time for the April 2012 current projects post, coming to you live from the wilds of Maine! This is the post in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout, Ashes of Honor). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

Not everything on this list has been sold. I will not discuss the sale status of anything which has not been publicly announced. Please don't ask.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

It's time to go back to Jonathan Healy and Frances Brown, as they make their way across America, heading for Buckley Township, Michigan. Only this time, it seems they've reached their destination, which begs the question...what comes next?

A new Jonathan and Fran story, "No Place Like Home," has been posted on the InCryptid short fiction page. It is once again available in ePub, MOBI, and PDF formats, and is free for download.

All cover graphics are by Tara O'Shea (be sure to admire the awesome cover she did for "Flower of Arizona," which is new to the page). All electronic conversion thus far has been done by scifantasy. As both of them are awesome, we applaud them now.

Enjoy the adventure!

The odds are decent that you've seen this by now, if you were online at all this past weekend. But since I'm going to be posting about the Hugos a bit this week, I thought it might be kind of me to put the whole ballot up here for people to review. If you don't need to know, don't click the cut. Life is simple!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Hugo Awards, they are given each year at WorldCon to celebrate the best the science fiction and fantasy fields have to offer. They are voted on (and people are nominated by) the members of the World Science Fiction Society. You can become a member by joining the current year's World Science Fiction Convention.

This is important, and we will talk more about it later. But what you should know right now is a) if you're going to WorldCon, you can vote, and b) if you're not going to WorldCon, but you want to have a say in what we, as a community, recognize, you can obtain the right to vote by purchasing a Supporting Membership to the current WorldCon. Supporting Memberships cost $50, and get you access to the entire electronic Hugo Voter's Packet, which contains all the nominated fiction of the year, as well as other exciting goodies. This is a more than $50 value, grants you the opportunity to find out what we as a community think warranted inclusion on a Top 5 list for the previous year, and lets you be a part of making history.

And now...the ballot.

( Click here if you're curious, or just want the reminder.Collapse )

...and between myself-as-me and myself-as-Mira, I am on the ballot four times. Which is the first time a woman has ever been on the ballot four times in a single year. I'm nominated for...

Best Novel, Deadline.
Best Novella, Countdown.
Best Fancast, The SF Squeecast.
Best Related Work, Wicked Girls.

I am both insanely excited and paralyzed with fear, which means I feel sort of sick to my stomach. Thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times to everyone who nominated; it means the world to me, and we have made history this year.

Congratulations to all the nominees, especially Jim Hines (Best Fan Writer), Betsy Wolheim (Best Long Form Editor), the voice of Toby, Mary Robinette Kowall (Best Novella), Paul Cornell (Best Novelette) and my beloved Cat Valente (Best Novella). I'll post the full ballot soon, when I get over the twitching and the nausea.

Thank you so much. This is such an honor. I am so lucky. I can't stop crying.

Thank you.

The official notice of sale, ladies and gentlemen:

"Seanan McGuire writing as Mira Grant's Parasitology and Symbiogenesis, a duology of science fiction medical thrillers in the tradition of Frankenstein and Jurassic Park, in which parasites intended to bolster human immune systems rebel against their hosts, along with three novellas set in the universe of the Newsflesh series, to Tim Holman at Orbit, with Tom Bouman editing, by Diana Fox at Fox Literary (World English)."

I think of them as a bit more in the tradition of "The Only Really Neat Thing to Do" and Carnisaur, but that's why I don't write the announcements. The novellas included in this deal are...

"Countdown"
"San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats"
"How Green This Land, How Blue This Sky"

I also sort of want to do "The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell," which is the origin story of a character you haven't met yet, but that's not a part of this deal, which is to say, I have sold two more books as Mira, and three novellas (one of which has already been published), and I am very happy, and you should be, too.

I am very pleased to be able to properly and formally announce that my very first ever book with the awesome Subterranean Press will be coming out this fall. Presenting...

When Will You Rise

This gorgeous hardcover will be 144 pages long, and contains "Countdown," my novella of how the Rising began, as well as the first print edition of "Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box." It will be illustrated, inside and out, by Lauren K. Cannon. Limited to 1,000 copies, all signed, which is also pretty much hammered awesome.

I am so excited about this book. So excited. I hope it does really well and everyone loves it and Subterranean lets me do lots more beautiful books with them, because wow.

When will you rise?

I guess we'll finally know.

Title: Martinez and Martinez v. Velveteen
Summary: Joining the Junior Super Patriots included a lot of paperwork. Now, years and years later, Velveteen may find that the contracts she signed then still have the power to make her life miserable now...

( Velveteen lounged against the wall of the movie theater, listening with mild disinterest to the screaming, crunching noises coming from inside the lobby...Collapse )

I have two short stories in the works, one Velveteen-universe, one InCryptid (set after "One Hell of a Ride"). So which one should I finish first?



Both will eventually be made available for free. I just need to get one of them wrapped up.

One thing I've tried to make very clear about InCryptid is that it's not the story of Verity Price and how she did lots of neat stuff and maybe saved the world a few times. It's the story of the Price family, and the Healy family, and how they did lots of neat stuff and maybe saved the world a few times. There are lots of stories, many of which happened before the books begin.

Never let it be said that I missed the chance to tell a story.

The InCryptid short fiction page is now live, and features the brand new Jonathan and Frances adventure, "One Hell of a Ride." The story is available for free download in three formats. I'll add information on "The Flower of Arizona" as soon as we have a finalized cover (and will include purchase data for that one, since it's in an anthology).

Welcome to the family tree, and I hope this helps to keep you excited for the upcoming release of Discount Armageddon!

It's the 15th of the month, and that means it's time for the February 2012 current projects post, in which I tell you what I'm working on, and you finally understand why I don't have time for tea. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

Hey, look! I'm in an anthology! River, from Dark Quest Books, edited by Alma Alexander. It's a book of stories about, well. A river. My story, "Lady of the Waters," is about a ship called The Jackdaw, her centaur captain (no, really), her faintly annoyed crew, and some giant catfish. I quite like it.

Oh, and hey, the audio books of all the Toby Daye adventures are still available at Audible.com, including Late Eclipses and One Salt Sea, which periodically appear as customer favorites. I find this awesome, and you should totally check it out if you haven't already listed to the fabulous audio narration. Or even if you have. I'm not picky.

SCIENCE CHEERLEADERS. It's like a beautiful dream. With pom-poms. There was no earthly way not to share.

...and because that last link may have restored your faith in humanity, here are some insanely depressing "rules for girls" collected from Twitter. The next time someone asks you why I keep threatening to ignite the biosphere, this is why. We can't have nice things until we've burned out all the stupid.

The title of this article right here is "How Amazon Kills Books and Makes Us Stupid." Again, destroying faith in humanity through the aid of my link file. You're welcome.

So it's a mixed bag today, but it includes SCIENCE CHEERLEADERS and CENTAUR SHIP CAPTAINS, so I'm going to call it overall a positive. Your mileage may vary.

Today marks the publication of Westward Weird, a new DAW anthology of, yes, Weird Wild West stories. Here's the book's official landing page on the Penguin* site. The table of contents:

1. "The Temptation of Eustace Prudence McAllen" by Jay Lake
2. "The Last Master of Aeronautical Winters" by Larry D. Sweazy
3. "Lowstone" by Anton Strout
4. "The Flower of Arizona" by Seanan McGuire
5. "The Ghost in the Doctor" by Brenda Cooper
6. "Surveyor of Mars" by Christopher McKitterick
7. "Coyote, Spider, Bat" by Steven Saus
8. "Maybe Another Time" by Dean Wesley Smith
9. "Renn and the Little Men" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
10. "Shadowdown at High Moon" by Jennifer Brozek
11. "The Clockwork Cowboy" by J. Steven York
12. "Black Train" by Jeff Mariotte
13. "Lone Wolf" by Jody Lynn Nye

Let's take a moment to focus on story #4, "The Flower of Arizona," shall we?

Discount Armageddon is the story of Verity Price, latest in a long line of cryptozoologists and monster hunters. Her father, Kevin Price, was the son of Alice Price-Healy and Thomas Price (late of the Covenant of St. George). And Alice was the daughter of Jonathan Healy and Frances Brown (late of the Campbell Family Circus, darling of the Arizona rodeo circuit).

"The Flower of Arizona" is the story of how Jonathan and Frances first met, a long time before their daughter met and fell in love with a man from the Covenant, and an even longer time before their great-granddaughter went and got a book of her very own. This is literally the chronologically earliest Price family story I have ever written. See Jonathan when he had a sense of humor! Learn how much Verity takes after her ancestors! Listen to the mice hail things inappropriately!

In all seriousness, this is a great introduction to the InCryptid universe...and, as a bonus, I'm going to be putting up another story featuring Jonathan and Fran for free download later this month. "One Hell of a Ride" takes place immediately after "The Flower of Arizona," and will make more sense if you've read them both. Plus, it's a fabulous anthology, so you get lots of bang for your buck.

Mama rode the rodeo; they say she was the best...

(*DAW is distributed by Penguin, although they are a distinct publishing entity. Supply chains are weird.)

Welcome to the first current projects post of 2012. That's...daunting. Anyway, these posts are made because I am the gift that keeps on giving, and time is the gift that keeps on taking. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout, Ashes of Honor). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

My nihilistic little tale of magical worlds and giant spiders has been published at Fantasy Magazine! I give you...

"Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage."

Kinda in love with this piece. Not gonna lie.

If you're wondering where all this came from, there's also an author spotlight interview with me in this issue, wherein I ramble about magical worlds, corn mazes, and My Little Pony.

Enjoy!

Title: Velveteen vs. The Secret Identity
Summary: With Tag back in town, it's time for Vel to decide whether she's ready to take the next big step in a superhero relationship: sharing her secret identity.

( Velveteen lounged against the wall of the movie theater, listening with mild disinterest to the screaming, crunching noises coming from inside the lobby...Collapse )

Apparently, "December" is synonymous with "that month where Seanan is too busy and/or distracted to remember to update her journal, even when she thinks she really ought to." Super-fun! Also, I'm sorry. Also, I need a nap. So here are some bullet points to soothe your abandoned souls, while I try to find my head:

1. Human For a Day is available now at a bookstore near you! This awesome anthology contains "Cinderella City," my second Mina Norton story (the first, "Alchemy and Alcohol", appears in Tales from the Ur-Bar). I've read through the whole book, and it's excellent, easily passing my "should I keep this" test for anthologies even without taking into account the whole "I have a story in there" aspect. You should totally pick it up.

2. Speaking of picking things up, my beloved Borderlands Books has published their holiday gift guide, which is insightful and lovely, and lists my Mira Grant books as great presents, thus providing that it's also brilliant and worth listening to. If you're wondering what to buy for the reader in your life, or for yourself, check it out.

3. Also, I was three of the top ten paperbacks for November. Feed came in at number three, One Salt Sea at number eight, and Deadline at number nine. I am well pleased.

4. As of right this second (this will change), I have all the Monster High dolls (except for 2010 SDCC Frankie, and I'm not paying that much for a doll I wouldn't be willing to take out of the box). I'm missing one fashion pack, and that's it. Since there are six more characters confirmed on the horizon, and the eternal looming rumor of a basic Jackson Jekyll, I intend to enjoy this rare moment of completeness while it exists.

5. Geek Fest in Seattle was absolutely wonderful. I met awesome musicians, made music with some of my favorite people, and discovered how much cranberry sauce constitutes "too much" (hint: I multiplied the recipe by a factor of six). Also I got to see some of my favorite people meet and hang out with others of my favorite people, and a good time was had by all.

6. Still loving Criminal Minds, woefully behind on everything else except for Glee, New Girl, and Bones, probably going to get lynched by my housemate if I don't clear some things off the DVR soon.

7. You know what? Seriously, go pick up Human For a Day. It's my good friend Jennifer's first editorial job with a big six publisher, and I really want her to be able to do more of these, because she really does a fantastic job. She brings a degree of integrity and focus to the table that really shows in the finished product, and I want to see her wind up becoming a name on a level with John Joseph Adams or Ellen Datlow, where anthology construction is concerned.

8. The new Glee soundtrack has been released, with the end result that I now have "Red Solo Cup" so firmly wedged in my head that I would need a crowbar to get it out. I don't dislike the song, but I didn't sign up to have it permanently melded with my skull. Bah.

9. Oh, hey, skulls! Have any of you read Dawn Metcalf's debut YA novel, Luminous? Because it's about skeletons. And stuff. And I need to do a proper review, because it was awesome. And while we're all talking about diversity in YA, this book has: a Hispanic heroine (who is sometimes a skeleton), an Orthodox Jewish character not presented as being misguided or odd, at least one character who isn't skinny and doesn't want to be, real consequences, real concerns, and characters of multiple non-Caucasian races, apart from the protagonist. This is an awesome book.

10. Zombies are love. Anyone who tells you different is selling something. Probably anti-zombie security measures.

Title: Velveteen vs. The Holiday Special
Summary: A long time ago, before Velveteen quit The Junior Super Patriots, West Coast Division, things were getting started, and getting strange. This is a beginning.

( It turns out that there are good things and bad things that come with being a junior superhero...Collapse )

Hello, internet world!

I have a short story that I'm intending to offer as a free download early next year, to celebrate the release of Discount Armageddon. This means I need the story to be in e-pub format. Anybody got the technical skills to make this for to go? I'll be your best friend, or something (or send you a book, whatever).

It's a pretty short story, about 7,000 words, and will have a cover and an internal dingbat for dividing sections.

ETA: While I appreciate the suggestions, if I had the time to do this myself right now, I would. I do not have time, so I am asking for help. Please stop suggesting ways for me to do it for myself.

Welcome to the November 2011 list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving, and time is the gift that keeps on taking. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

Title: Velveteen vs. Blacklight vs. Sin-Dee, Part II
Summary: What is there for a formerly retired superheroine who's managed to find herself in the state she was aiming for—good—and somehow thrust back into the public eye (bad) at the very same time? Is it time for her to start moving past the things that have been holding her back? Today's installment was sponsored by Suzanne.

( Since the life of a superhero involves a lot of late nights and physical activity, most of them keep sleep schedules that wouldn't be unfamiliar to celebrities or graduate students (not that these three groups of people have much else in common)...Collapse )

Why cut-tagged? Because I am trying, vainly, to slaughter a little bit more of the standing file, and I think it's unfriendly to make you look at more than five links at a go. (I know that for some of you, these roundups are a necessary evil, and I thank you for your patience. For me, they're housekeeping and a way of putting things where I can find them again if I need them later.)

Reviews!

( We cut because we care, and because boy howdy, do I have a lot of links.Collapse )

Title: Velveteen vs. Blacklight vs. Sin-Dee, Part I
Summary: What is there for a formerly retired superheroine who's managed to find herself in the state she was aiming for -- good -- and somehow thrust back into the public eye (bad) at the very same time? Is it time for her to start moving past the things that have been holding her back?

( Velveteen remained crouched on the edge of the roof, feeling like some sort of perverse Easter-themed gargoyle as she stared fixedly at the bank below her. An anonymous tip had informed her that one of the city's less-intelligent criminal organizations was planning to knock the bank over sometime around midnight...Collapse )

This is me, inchworming into the future. I'm stealing a page from Bear's book, and hoping that a little rolling accountability will make me, if not saner, then at least easier to understand when I start to flail and cry about the ice worms coming out of the wall. ICE WORMS EVERYWHERE.

In other news, Kate and I canceled dinner last night, which turned out to be a good thing, because I have the clingiest clinging cats in Clingycatdonia. They are distraught by my recent travels. I think that if I hadn't come home last night, I'd never be seen again after tonight.

Not everything is on this list yet. Some things aren't announced, some things aren't confirmed, some things may have been forgotten. I expect coherency to come with trial and error.

2012

Publications:
"The Flower of Arizona," February 2012.
Discount Armageddon, March 2012.
"We Will Not Be Undersold!", March 2012.
Blackout (as Mira Grant), May 2012.
Ashes of Honor, September 2012.

"Rat-Catcher," middle 2012.
"Laughter at the Academy: A Study in the Development of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)," late 2012.

Travel:
Conflikt, January 27-29, Seattle WA.
Consonance, March 2-4, Newark CA.
San Diego International Comic Convention, July 11-14, San Diego CA.
Confluence, July 27-29, Pittsburgh PA.
Chicon (WorldCon 2012), August 30-September 3, Chicago IL.
World Fantasy Convention, November 1-4, Toronto.

No fixed deadline/being written/unsold:

"Fiber"
"Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea"
"These Antique Fables"
"Pixie Season"
"Martinez and Martinez v. Velveteen"
Sparrow Hill Road
"Velveteen vs. the Alternate Timeline, part one"
"Velveteen vs. the Alternate Timeline, part two"
"Velveteen vs. the Retroactive Continuity"
"Hell of a Ride"
"Loch and Key"
"In Sea Salt Tears"
Midnight Blue-Light Special
The Chimes at Midnight
"San Diego 2014"
"Misfit Toys: A Chronicle of the Velveteen War"
Parasitology
Echo
"How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea"

I am very pleased to (somewhat belatedly) announce that I have sold a short story to The Edge of Propinquity, the very same electronic magazine which once upon a time published my Sparrow Hill Road serial (oh, let me tell you about Rose Marshall...). I'm so pleased to be a part of this publication again, even if it's only for a visit, and not for keeps.

So it is without further ado that I tell you to go forth and read about Uncle Sam, the founding of America, why girls go to the bathroom in groups, and how Chinese restaurants can save your life, if you let them.

"Uncle Sam."

Enjoy.

Blah blah review roundup blah blah links eat world blah blah I will run out of bullets before I run out of reviews. And so...

Ages and ages ago, John Joseph Adams interviewed me about my Newsflesh-universe short story, "Everglades," published in his anthology, The Living Dead 2. It's a fun interview, and he asked some really excellent questions. Check it out.

Pen and Ink, Camera and Keyboard has posted a review of Deadline, and says, "Deadline is a great book, it’s well written and genuinely enthralling." Works for me!

Jordan Wyn has posted a review of Feed, and says, "As with most successful dystopias, Feed takes the world we know and pushes it farther." I, and my love of Orwell, salute you.

The Guilded Earlobe has posted a review of the Deadline audiobook, and says, "Listeners will miss elements of the first novel, particularly the covering of the Ryman campaign, yet will enjoy getting to know some new characters, and finding out more about some old ones. Add to that a lot of great zombie action and a brilliant ending, and readers will be beating down Ms. Grant’s door demanding the finale of the trilogy." Woo!

Underground Reading has posted a review of Feed, and says, "Feed is a great zombie thriller—this already makes it a rarity, and it needs no additional layers of meaning to be a worthwhile read. Ms. Grant uses the setting of politics to create a background of tension and as a vehicle that keep the protagonists moving and motivated. She also uses blogging as a method of getting her protagonists not only involved in the action, but also actively pursuing it. Feed isn't secretly about politics or journalism, it is overtly about zombies. This is one case where we should celebrate a book at face value, without trying to stretch it into anything more." Hee!

And that's it for right now, even though it barely represents a dent in this cursed file. One day, it will eat me.

It's reasonably rare for me to have a short story run up, punch me in the teeth, and run away giggling to itself. On the occasions where this happens, I sort of feel like I have to write the story down, since otherwise, it might come running back and hit me again. That was the case earlier this year, with a nihilistic little piece that I kept describing as the prelude to a Vertigo comic series.* I wrote the story, I revised it, I read from it at Arisia, and now, finally, I get to announce...

"Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage" has been sold to John Joseph Adams at Fantasy Magazine, to appear in one of their upcoming issues (probably still within 2011). It's the story of a girl named Crystal, and how she finds her way home after an awfully big adventure. It involves dire bats, children's book logic, wicked roses, giant spiders, and broken hearts.

I am very, very pleased with this piece, and very, very proud of it; it's the same sort of half-mad fantasy as "Lost" or "A Citizen in Childhood's Country," but it's also its own creature, wild and strange and a little bit lost in its own world. I'm totally delighted to have a story in Fantasy Magazine, which I love, but I'm even more delighted that it's this one. I feel like I'm growing as a short story author. I feel like this story proves it.

Coming soon to an internet near you!

(*Dear editors at DC: I am an internationally well-known author with a good sales record, and I love your Vertigo line. So if you want to make this the prelude to a Vertigo series, I would be a whole wide world of happy to discuss it with you. Just saying.)

Welcome to the September 2011 list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving, and time is the gift that keeps on taking. To quote myself, being too harried to say something new: "These posts are labeled with the month and year, in case somebody eventually gets the crazy urge to timeline my work cycles (it'll probably be me). Behold the proof that I don't actually sleep; I just whimper and keep writing."

Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Blackout). The cut-tag is here to stay, because no matter what I do, it seems like this list just keeps on getting longer. But that's okay, because at least it means I'm never actively bored. I have horror movies and terrible things from the swamp to keep me company.

( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )

Hey. Remember when I wrote a novella leading up to the release of Deadline, and we called it "Countdown," and everybody had a good time watching the end of the world? Yeah, that was fun. In fact, that was so fun that Orbit wound up purchasing the novella for the Orbit Short Fiction Program, which gave me the luxury of revising and expanding on the original text (since I couldn't really afford the time when I wasn't getting paid for it). Good times.

Well. The times are getting better. Subterranean Press, the publishers of amazing limited-edition, illustrated works of speculative fiction, have acquired the rights to "Countdown," and will be publishing a special hardcover edition of the novella. These books will be limited to a signed and numbered print run of 1,000, and will include both "Countdown" and "Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box" (also previously published by the Orbit Short Fiction Program).

I am so excited. I don't know yet exactly when the books will be available, although believe me, I'll be announcing it as soon as I have any information. They should sell for about $35 USD, and are likely to sell out, if past books from this publisher are anything to measure by. Subterranean does small, beautiful, collector's-quality books, and having an edition from them is something I have dreamed of for years.

Life is good.

I was asked to write a fragment involving a) Toby and b) a traditional folk or fairy tale for the blog Dark Faerie Tales. Being the easily amused soul that I am, I obliged by combining Toby Daye with the tale of Katie Crackernuts. You can read the original post here, and enter to win a Toby book by leaving a comment.

Unfortunately, somehow, the way the text was posted stripped out the special characters, like quotation marks. So I am posting it again here, for your amusement and edification. Free Toby past the cut-tag!

( Click here for antic silliness, Tybalt, and Toby hating her footwear. Again.Collapse )