Today is Thursday, and things are awesome! Like, seriously, seriously awesome. Why are they awesome? Because they are. I will explain.

First awesome: Conjure Oils is doing a line of perfumes inspired by the Toby Daye books. They debuted at OryCon, and they are amazing. Seriously, I squealed, more than a little. There are seven scents in the initial line, and more coming, some of which I am, like, crazy excited about (the idea of January O'Leary perfume makes me giggle way more than is strictly sane). If you're a BPAL fan, or know someone who is, you could do a lot worse than Toby Daye perfumes for the holidays.



Ahem: squee.

Second awesome: My darling Mia, over at Chimera Fancies, is getting ready for her incredibly massively huge holiday sale, and has put up a preview post of pendants. It seems like every batch is better than the batch before, which is probably part of why my pendant collection is beginning to rival my Pony collection for sheer number of pieces. I mean, damn.

The latest sale begins Friday, November 19th, at noon Pacific time, and if you check out her post, you can find out how to get yourself entered in a drawing for possible free awesomeness. I mean, how much better can it get than free awesomeness?

Third awesome: My mailing tubes arrived last night, and I estimated correctly, meaning that the mailing of the new "Wicked Girls" posters has officially begun. Specifically, I've mailed posters to Tara and to our cover model, but that means I now know exactly what I'm dealing with, rather than just making a highly educated guess. Hooray for math!

For details on the posters, and on how you can currently order them, please see yesterday's post on the subject. I'm planning to package and mail all paid orders from this week on Saturday morning, which means you'd have them by the end of the week in the United States, and by the end of the month in Canada. I also now know what it would cost to mail internationally, so please contact me via my website if you'd like to discuss other mailing options.

Tara bet me five dollars and a cupcake that we'd sell fifty in the first twenty-four hours. There's three hours left, and we're at thirty-eight. Free cupcake!

And those are the things which are awesome. What's awesome in the world of you?

Draft 1.5 stats:

Words: 114,115
Pages: 419
Chapters: thirty-five
Started: I have absolutely no idea
Finished: November 15th, 2010

As is pretty much always the case, as soon as I finished One Salt Sea, I turned around and did some serious revisions, trimming the language, clarifying the action, unsnarling the timeline, and totally replacing several chapters. As is also pretty much always the case, this process made the book unutterably better. Seriously, this is an infinitely better book than it was two weeks ago, and also, it's still finished.

I'm currently waiting for feedback from The Agent and my proofing pool, after which I will make final pre-editorial changes and ship the whole thing off to The Editor, saving my sanity and allowing me to get to work on Ashes of Honor. I'm starting to get excited about this prospect. I get to find out what happens next! And, y'know, consequentially, so do you.

Eventually.

We're already somehow halfway through November, which is a bit of an "um, what?" for me, but that means it's time for the monthly current projects post. I actually look forward to this one, most of the time, since it means I can demonstrate that I occasionally Get Things Done. Of course, it also means another month has somehow slipped away, which is a trifle stressful, but hey, that's the way the cookie crumbles. This is the November list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving.

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 (Late Eclipses and Deadline). 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 )

So first off, because I couldn't say this earlier, and also, HOLY CATS, here go: I was asked, by Charlaine Harris and Toni Kelner, to submit a story for one of their totally insanely awesome urban fantasy theme collections. You know, the ones like Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Death's Excellent Vacation. The ones I have sometimes DREAMED about being asked to write for.

THEY ASKED ME TO WRITE THEM A STORY AND I SAID YES AND OH MY GOD YOU GUYS, LOOK:



The story, titled "Through This House," takes place between Late Eclipses and One Salt Sea. It involves Toby, Quentin, May, Danny, and some giant spiders, and while it was intentionally written to be non-essential—you don't have to get the book to understand what's going on in book five—I really like it.

But mostly, right now, I'm just REALLY EXCITED. Like, super-duper grasshopper pie and a magic unicorn pogo stick excited. My first appearance in an actual hardcover! Ohmygawd!

Happy Saturday!

Current stats:

Words: 8,719.
Total words: 116,192.
Reason for stopping: I sort of, well, ran out of book.
Music: random shuffle, heavy on the Broadway.
Lilly and Alice: I have no idea. That's probably not good.

First draft stats:

Pages: 428
Chapters: thirty-five
Started: I have absolutely no idea
Finished: October 30, 2010

I am...oh my sweet Great Pumpkin, you guys, I am finally done. The book is currently about 5,000 words longer than it's going to be when it's turned in, because the final draft needs to be 111,000 words, not 116,000, but this is my first draft, and it's finally done. I have finally written an ending to the Toby book that would not die. Draft one is finished. I know how it ends. After all this time, I know how it ends, and it makes sense, and it hangs together, and it needs some paint and fixing up and everything, but...

But it's done. One Salt Sea is done.

I need a hug.

Words: 2,871.
Total words: 107,473.
Reason for stopping: once again, it's bed time.
Music: The Rocky Horror Glee Show.
Lilly and Alice: glaring at me from their nest of pillows.

Tonight's word count is a little shaky, since that's the end-of-night total, after a) I wrote for two hours solid, and b) I made a whole bunch of edits, most of which involved deleting (I always overwrite in my first draft, because it's easier to cut than it is to come up with new text at the eleventh hour). So I probably wrote around 3,500 tonight, but as the final total is 2,871, we're going to roll with that. Either way, this is me, calling the time of done:

I estimate a completed first draft by the stroke of midnight on October 30th. I will finish this book before the new year begins, or I will probably have been hit by a bus while trying to do so. Because I am that close to finishing. I know who, and where, and what, and why (which is often more than poor Toby knows).

There's going to be a lot of rewriting, because there always is. There are bricks that need to become pillows, and pillows that need to become bricks. There is dialog to add, tighten, and delete entirely, and there are scenes that need serious revision. But the first draft, the starting point, is going to be done by Saturday night.

All I need now is a white plastic belt.

Words: 3,011.
Total words: 104,602.
Reason for stopping: bedtime!
Music: mostly the Counting Crows.
Lilly and Alice: glaring at me from their nest of pillows.

I feel like my word count needs a little explanation.

So when I had to throw out literally a hundred pages of this book, I didn't delete them all at once. Instead, I kept them at the back of the living manuscript, and every time I wrote X number of words, I would delete the same number from the text that was now considered "out of canon." This had two useful effects. First, it let me salvage certain things that I knew I wanted to keep, without leaving them as floating out-of-context fragments in a file somewhere. Secondly, it kept me from totally losing my shit, since suddenly going from "most of a book" to "a few chapters" is terrifying enough without your word count going back to zero.

All this is by way of explaining how I could have just written 3,000 words to wind up with a word count barely 600 words more than last night's word count. But more importantly, this is the real word count. I have finally deleted the last major chunks of the old book, leaving me with only those few scenes that I know I still need to re-incorporate. As of tonight, One Salt Sea is wholly and entirely itself, free of old identities and old ideas.

I'm both elated and terrified, because this really isn't the book I originally thought that I was writing. It's something better. It's almost the true sequel to Rosemary and Rue: it resolves a lot of the plot threads the first book left dangling, while introducing still more. It's a better book than I could have written two years ago. And it's still scary as hell.

But it's almost over. So I guess I better get used to the terror.

Words: 3,022.
Total words: 104,023.
Reason for stopping: I need to eat dinner, or I am going to die.
Music: random shuffle.
Lilly and Alice: somewhere in the house, and conked out on the bed, respectively.

So it's been a little while since I've provided a concrete update on this book. I could make excuses about how busy I've been, but really, it's that for a while, updates have been borderline impossible, because my progress hasn't been something I could quantify. Have I been writing? Yes, I have. But half of what I've been doing has been revising, or taking old scenes, feeding them through the wood chipper, and stapling them back together in a new order. I've cut sub-plots and scenes, replacing them with new, stronger sub-plots and scenes. And it's been exhausting and hard to exactly measure.

But I think I'm a little more confident about my progress now, especially since this book is projected to be done when it hits somewhere around 107,500 words. I'm probably going to write to about 109,000 words, thus giving myself a little wiggle room when it comes to finding the (many many many) things that need cutting. And then I'm going to send it off to the Machete Squad and The Agent, and buckle down on my next set of projects: Blackout, Ashes of Honor, and Midnight Blue-Light Special.

I really am astonishingly excited about what One Salt Sea is turning into. This is so much better of a book than I thought it was going to be, and that's in first draft form, before the people who keep me honest have taken their shots at it. When they're done?

It's gonna be amazing.

I forgot to share the most positive review from Publisher's Weekly yet received by a Toby Daye book:

"McGuire hits her stride with this fast-paced, sharply plotted, tense urban fantasy, the third featuring half-fae detective Toby Daye (after 2009's A Local Habitation). Toby is dismayed to encounter her frighteningly upbeat Fetch, May Daye, a magical doppelganger heralding her imminent demise. Hot on its heels comes the discovery that Blind Michael, lord of the Wild Hunt, has kidnapped a number of fae and human children—including several whom Toby considers family—to replenish his riders. Determined to outfight or outwit Michael, Toby chases him down several increasingly dangerous Faerie Roads and through the streets of San Francisco, finding unexpected allies and new inner strength. McGuire adeptly plunders folklore, nursery rhymes, traditional ballads, and fairy tales for her framework, and fleshes it out with plenty of action and intrigue. With the addition of May, the cast finally clicks and the series really solidifies." —PW

What do I take away from this? Well, a) May is totally awesome, b) it is possible for me to get a positive review that doesn't mention Tybalt (although Tybalt disagrees with this position), and c) I am totally a folklore pirate. Ahoy, mateys! Slow down your fairy tale and prepare to be boarded!

In other news, An Artificial Night was the top-selling mass-market paperback at Borderlands Books last month. That? Rules. (Also, Feed was number ten. If I can get a third book onto the list at the same time, I get to shout BINGO! really loud.)

Life is good.

You know the drill by now.

First up, a relatively rare pitch for people to pick up my CDs. I'm posting this largely because Wicked Girls is still in pre-order (through my website), and Stars Fall Home is on the verge of going entirely out of print. Seriously. Not joking. So you may want to consider picking these up soon, if you were ever going to.

A review of Rosemary and Rue is up at Genre Reviews, and reads, "I'm sure I'm not really conveying here how awesome I find this series, but discovering what happens next fills me with anticipatory need." Spiffy!

hanabishirecca has posted a lovely LJ review of An Artificial Night, and says, "An Artificial Night provided for me everything I want in a novel. The characters are rock solid. The plot is phenomenal. I even found myself cheering with glee one moment and nearly weeping another. This book was overall superb and is a must read for anyone that finds at least a remote interest in Urban Fantasy." DUDE. That's a win.

Oh, hey, I did a guest post for Marianne de Pierres about writing and being Mira Grant and lots of other fun stuff. You should check it out.

Finally for this grab-bag of things I needed out of my link soup, Fantastique Foibles and Fables has posted a lovely review of Feed (which was given an A+!). There are no real pull quotes, but you should definitely take a look.

Today is the 15th of October, or, as the Disney Channel likes to call it, "the fifteenth day of Halloween." Since I have to put up with a full month of Christmas every year, I am okay with getting a month of Halloween to soothe my wounded, ghoulish soul. Anyway, welcome to my monthly current projects post, the regularly scheduled update which provides the only non-hysteria-inducing answer to the question "What are you working on?" It has the extra added bonus of proving that I am able to stop time, since otherwise, even I don't quite understand how the hell I'm getting everything finished in a timely manner. Seriously, I don't think I sleep. This is the October list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving.

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. Late Eclipses and Deadline are off the list because they have been turned in to their respective editors, and I am waiting for page proofs.

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 )

Check out this incredible piece of Toby/Tybalt fan art by irrel:

Follow the clicky link to the pretty!

I am delighted beyond words.

Gosh and golly.

So my recent radio silence has been largely the result of the New York Comic Convention, where I have paneled many panels, signed many signatures, shopped much shopping, and slept many sleeps. Honestly, I should probably sleep a few more sleeps, and that's why you're getting a link roundup now. Because I am lazy, and my inbox is exploding.

Rena has posted a lovely review of A Local Habitation, and says that, "There are some interesting twists and turns, and a lot of action—this book was less about solving the mystery than it was about advancing other aspects of the plot of the series, with some very discreet info dumping." Cool.

Wayward Drui has posted a review of An Artificial Night, and says, "This is the most solid book to come out of this series yet. And the creepiest. And topping A Local Habitation for chill factor was quite the feat in of itself." I'm creepy! Yay!

Dave at Dave Does the Blog (love that name) has reviewed Feed, and says, "This is ostensibly the first of a series. I’ve rarely read such that didn’t scream for a sequel, but this story works perfectly well stand-alone novel. A really fun, really readable, really engrossing book. Very highly recommended." He's ambivalent about the idea of a sequel, but I'm not.

A fabulous review of An Artificial Night has been posted at From the Shadows, and says, "I highly recommend An Artificial Night to readers of urban fantasy, paranormal suspense, fantasy, and especially to fans of the Rachel Morgan books by Kim Harrison and The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher." Yay!

Finally for this batch of THE LINKS THE LINKS OH GOD THE LINKS, Janicu has posted a review of An Artificial Night, and says, "What an awesome series this is. Every time I read one, it manages to make me feel a jittery need to read the next one. Luckily, McGuire seems to be a prolific writer and so far we’ve seen two Toby Daye installments a year." ...prolific, I can do.

Anyway, that kills the current batch of links, for which I am very grateful, as it means I can go back to posting the unending archival links (and thus, someday, potentially, end them). I am still in New York, I am still largely away from the keyboard, and I am still dying for a Diet Dr Pepper.

IGNITE THE BIOSPHERE!

So a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, in an era before I could explain the epidemiology of the Black Death or tell you gleefully about fluke parasitism...I outlined the first five adventures of a changeling named October Daye. Yeah, I've been working on this series for a while now.

Anyway, all five of the books have gone through dramatic changes since they were originally outlined. The later books especially, because every change to an early book sort of cascades through the continuity to land on their heads. Which brings us to book five, which you may have heard me refer to as The Brightest Fell. See, when that title was chosen, it made perfect sense. It was a good title. And then the book began to warp and struggle with its outline, and the title became a little less good.

And then I redid the outline for the last third of the book, and the title sucked. What's a girl to do?

Rename the book, of course.

Book five is now called One Salt Sea, which is in many ways a much, much better title for this book, and a much better indicator of what's going on between the covers. Book seven, assuming we get that far (dream big, shop smart, shop S-Mart), will be called The Brightest Fell. Because, y'know, this wasn't confusing enough.

Titles make my head hurt. Time to go and pack for my trip to New York.

It's that time again! The time when I, and my good friend Random, generate the winners for the latest Toby Daye giveaway. Everybody dance! Anyway, after feeding the range into the random number generator, our winners are...

sasquatch1313, who wins a copy of An Artificial Night!
lyssabard, who also wins a copy of An Artificial Night!
janetmiles, who wins a copy of Rosemary and Rue!

Please use my website contact form to provide your mailing information, and, if you're planning to give the book as a gift rather than treasuring it forever, the name of the person you want me to inscribe it to. Remember, if you try to contact me through any other* mechanism, I may not see it in time, and if I don't hear from you by Monday, I'll pick again.

(*This is not entirely true. If you dispatch a talking pink pegasus to carry me back to Ponyland, I will totally hand-deliver your book before we fly over the rainbow into the glorious embrace of Paradise Valley.)

Winners!

I feel like giving things away (I know you all love it when I do that). Specifically, I feel like giving away copies of the Toby Daye books. Want to win a book? Then come play my game. What game are we playing today?

Six word biography.

It's simple: leave a comment on this entry with a six word biography of yourself. They can be serious, silly, or anything in-between. Here are some examples for me:

"I've always been a cornfield girl."
"Halloweentown princess seeks candy corn, companionship."
"I did it all for dreaming."

Indicate which of the three books you're interested in. On Saturday, I'll use the random number generator to select three winners, one for each book. You can only win once, but you can ask for all three books, if that's what rings your chimes.

Game on!

Did you miss the latest iteration of the Traveling Circus and Snake-Handling Show? Do you like your events a little more low-key? Do you want to hang out and get things signed? Well, you're in luck on all three counts, because I will be at the Other Change of Hobbit in Berkeley, California this Saturday, from five to seven PM.

Yes, I will read; yes, I will sign; yes, I will answer silly questions. Yes, there may well be music, because I am me, and it is borderline inevitable that there will be music when I go around being me in a public place. Yes, I hope to see you there.

Book events are fun!

Psst. C'mere. Wanna see something really pretty? I mean, really pretty? I'll give you a hint: if you're a Toby fan, it's something you've been waiting for ever since the cover to An Artificial Night was released. I think you'll be pleased. I know I'm pleased.

Go ahead. Take a peek.

( Cut-tagged for the protection of your friends' list, which really doesn't need something this huge suddenly showing up without warning. But trust me, you should totally click.Collapse )

Yeah, I'm Skippy McPosts-a-lot today, aren't I? Forgive me. It's been a hard Monday.

Anyway, I'm drowning in links, and that means it's time to clear a few of them away. In honor of An Artificial Night (that being my most recent book, and all), it's a Toby-centric day, and we're starting with a review from Renee's Book Addiction, in which she says, "As with book two (A Local Habitation), An Artificial Night not only lived up the the high expectations, but took the series in ever more interesting and complex directions." The rest of the review is lovely, and you should read it. Also, it's technically a review of the audio book, which is super-fun.

Karissa, at Karissa's Reading Review, has reviewed An Artificial Night, and says "This was a great installment in this series. The book was different from the previous books in that most of it takes place in the Summerlands and it is more of a questing/adventure type of story. I loved it." She says a lot more, and very well. I'm pleased.

What's a review roundup without a Livejournal review? Silly, that's what, so here it is. kay_gmd says "I'm not generally an emotional reader, I can definitely be taken away by a story, but this is the first time I remember crying while reading. As a caveat I am pregnant, and I'm told that while pregnant I'm more inclined to such things. (It was late in the book, so I'm not going to tell you where it hit)." Yay! I made...a pregnant woman...cry. Er. Please don't hit me.

Phantastic Student has posted a review, and says, "An Artificial Night took the background from the second book, used it and added to it. It took the toughness, grittiness and heartbreak from the first book and compounded it. It took the best of both books, used it and made it better. It totally kicked ass. McGuire's hit her stride and is going to keep going." Woo! EPIC WIN.

Here: have a second Livejournal review. markbernstein has posted a review of An Artificial Night, and says, "More important, this is the book in which we leave behind Toby, the reluctant private investigator and damaged person, and truly meet October Daye, knight of Shadowed Hills and hero. Here in full display is the moral determination, the unshakable loyalty to family and friends (that has in turn inspired the love and loyalty given her, which is key to the book both plotwise and thematically), and the near-pathological stubbornness that together form the core of Toby's character."

Awesome. And that's all for now. Good night, moon.

Welcome to the 15th of September, aka, "the day where I make my monthly current projects post." This is the regularly scheduled update which provides the only non-hysteria-inducing answer to the question "What are you working on?" It has the extra added bonus of proving that I am able to stop time, since otherwise, even I don't quite understand how the hell I'm getting everything finished in a timely manner. Seriously, I don't think I sleep. This is the September list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving.

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. Discount Armageddon is off the list because it has been turned in to The Agent. Late Eclipses and Deadline are off the list because they have been turned in to their respective editors.

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 )

A year ago, I was in a state of low-grade panic because of the upcoming release of my first novel, Rosemary and Rue. Was it really going to happen? Would anybody buy my book? Was my book even worth reading? What if this was some sort of elaborate practical joke (admittedly, one pulled by someone who could afford wasting a book advance on fucking with my head)? What if DAW hated me? What if, what if, what if?

Six months ago, I was in a state of low-grade panic because of the upcoming release of my second novel, A Local Habitation. What if the first book was just a fluke? What if nobody liked Toby when she was less broken? What if everyone lost interest and went off to read something else, and my publisher dropped me, and my numbers were terrible, and my agent told me I should be a dishwasher or something? What if, dammit?!

Right now, I would be in a state of low-grade panic, but I'm honestly too tired to work up the flailing. An Artificial Night, the third Toby Daye book, is out now, and I would really appreciate it if you'd go out and buy a copy, assuming you haven't already. My reasons are legion: I really think it's the best book of the series so far, I really love it as a piece of work, and it's the last book on my original contract with DAW, so it would be nice if it went out with a bang. Like all authors, I worry vaguely about an unknown god known only as "the numbers," and I'm sure I want the numbers to look on me with grace. So that means book sales, and maybe, I don't know, sacrificing a pizza. I'll get on that.

I really love this book. I love the way it looks, I love the way it feels, I love the fact that it exists. It makes me feel like a real girl, because now I can look at my brag shelf and see three Toby books in finished form, all of them there, waiting to be opened. It's amazing. And still a little terrifying.

Release parties start next weekend. Fun for the whole family!

Well, this is it: my plane for Australia leaves tonight, which means I am officially going to be out of the country when An Artificial Night [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy] starts landing on store shelves. This is a little scary, since I don't know whether I'll have any Internet access at all during the days of my release, but hey, nothing in this world comes without cost, right? Australia or release day, pick one...and I picked the Kingdom of Poison and Flame. I have no regrets. Still, the book has to come out, so I've made a list of things you can do to help, if you are so inclined.

DO buy the book as soon as you can. Sales during the first week are very important—think of it as "opening weekend" for a movie—but they're not the end-all be-all. If you can get the book tomorrow, get the book; if you can get it at my book release party, get it at my book release party. Whatever works for you. 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!

DON'T yell at other people who haven't bought the book yet. I know, that's sort of a "why are you saying this?" statement, but I got a very sad email from a teenager who'd been yelled at for not buying A Local Habitation the week that it came out. So just be chill. Unless you want to buy books for people who don't have them, in which case, don't yell, just buy.

DO ask your local bookstore if they have it on order. If your local store is part of a large chain, such as Borders or Barnes and Noble, the odds are very good that the answer will be "yes," and that they'll be more than happy to hold one for you. If your local store is small, and does not focus specifically on science fiction/fantasy, they may have been waiting to see signs of interest before placing an order. Get interested! Interest is awesome!

DON'T berate your local bookseller if they say "no." Telling people they're overlooking something awesome doesn't make them go "gosh, I see the error of my ways." It makes them go "well, I guess it can be awesome without me." Suggest. Ask if you can special-order a copy. But don't be nasty to people just because their shelves can't hold every book ever written.

DO post reviews on your blog or on Amazon.com. Reviews are fantastic! Reviews make everything better! Please, write and post a review, even if it's just "I liked it." Honestly, even if it's just "this wasn't really my thing." As long as you're being fair and reasoned in your commentary, I'm thrilled. (I like to think you won't all race right out to post one-star reviews, but if that's what you really think, I promise that I won't be mad.)

DON'T get nasty at people who post negative reviews. You are all people. You all have a right to the ball. That includes people who don't like my work. Please don't argue with negative reviewers on my behalf. It just makes everybody sad. If you really think someone's being unfair, why don't you post your own review, to present an alternate perspective? (Also, please don't email me my Amazon reviews. I don't read them, I don't want to read them, and I definitely don't want to be surprised with them. Please have mercy.)

DO feel free to get multiple copies. No, you probably don't need eight copies of An Artificial Night for your permanent collection, but remember that libraries, school libraries, and shelters are always in need of books. I'm donating a few of my author's copies to a local women's shelter, because they get a lot of women there who really need the escape. There are also people who just can't afford their own copies, and would be delighted. I wouldn't have had half the library I did as a teenager if it weren't for the kindness of the people around me.

DON'T feel obligated to get multiple copies, or nag other people to do so. Seriously, we're all on budgets, and too much aggressive press can actually turn people off on a good thing. Let people make their own choices. Have faith.

DO check with your local library to be sure they have a copy of on order. If they don't, you can fill out a library request form. Spread the paperback love!

DON'T forget that libraries need books. Many libraries, especially on the high school level, are really strapped for cash right now, and 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.

DO suggest the book to bookstore employees who like urban fantasy. Nothing boosts sales like having people in the stores who really like a project. If your Cousin Danny (or Dani) works at a bookstore, say "Hey, why don't you give this a try?" It just might help.

DON'T rearrange bookstore displays. If the staff of my local bookstore is constantly being forced to deal with fixing the shelves after someone "helpfully" rearranged things to give their chosen favorites a better position, they're unlikely to feel well inclined toward that book—or author. It's not a good thing to piss off the bookstores. Let's just not.

So those are some do's and don't's. I'm sure there are lots of other things to consider; this is, at least, a start. Finally, a few things that don't help the book, but do help the me:

Please don't 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 eleven days and my flight leaving tonight, I've hit the stage where I flail around and scream "ICE WORMS!" a lot, which doesn't help me answer email. (Also, remember that I can't guarantee my Internet access while in Australia, so this wouldn't work anyway.)

Please don't ask me when book four is coming out. I may cry. Plus, the answer is March 2011.

Whee!

We're only inches away from An Artificial Night, and how better to celebrate than with a mixed review roundup? First off, Amanda at Diary of a Book Addict has posted a review of A Local Habitation, and says, "Set up in a somewhat unexpected way, A Local Habitation continues Toby's adventures in an enthralling, amazing and character-driven story that is just as good as the first one. McGuire's writing skills glow and her world is vibrant and engaging. I couldn't put it down until the very end." Hooray!

Meanwhile, SFX in the UK is showing the Feed love. Their reviewer says, "Feed is a proper thriller with zombies. Grant doesn’t get carried away with describing her world or the virus. She’s clearly thought both out brilliantly, but she doesn’t let it get in the way of a taut, well-written story." Glee.

Today's Livejournal review comes from apocalypticbob, who decided she was going to tackle Feed. She says, "I was lucky enough to win a signed ARC of this book, and it was so incredible that I couldn't wrap my head around it well enough to review it. Seanan has the ability to build worlds that suck you in and characters you love even when you aren't sure if you like them." Awwww. I like that.

There's another Feed review up at A Book A Day 'Til I Can Stay, where the reviewer says, "Feed is passionate and incisive writing. Grant is clever and thought-provoking, piggybacking on horror fiction tropes to speak to the audience about how we may be manipulated by the ‘news’, how fear motivates our decisions and how democracy is reduced to a special interest land-grab. At its core though, Feed is a story about a brother and sister who love each other very much. I eagerly await Deadline." That works for me.

Finally for today, sarahtales (Sarah Rees Brennan) has posted her awesome Feed review, and says, "These are not the zombie boyfriends or girlfriends you're looking for. What this is, is the ideal zombie book for nerds." Seriously, just go read the review. It's MADE OF WIN.

...okay, so this was less "mixed" than "four Feed reviews with a Toby on top." Whatever. The ratios will be shifting soon, and I have a link file to clear out!

More to come.

In the Toby books, people tend to swear by (and on) a variety of things, including trees (oak, ash, elm, yarrow, pine), representative symbols for fae ideals (root, branch, rose, thorn), and the three major monarchs of their world. Brooke, being seized by an imp of the perverse one day, went through and actually made a list of all the times people swear by one of the monarchs...and what body parts they swore by.

My proofreaders are special, yo.

So here, for your enlightenment, is the cussin', as listed by Brooke, who is insane.

A CHILD'S GARDEN OF ROYAL FAE SWEARING

Swearing by Oberon:

In Oberon's name (Rosemary and Rue)
Oberon's bones (R&R)
Oberon's blessed balls (A Local Habitation)
Oberon's blood (R&R, An Artificial Night)
Oberon's teeth (ALH, AAN)
Sweet Oberon (Late Eclipses)
Oberon's hairy balls (LE)
Oberon's honor (LE)
Oberon's ass (LE, The Brightest Fell)
Oberon's balls (R&R, ALH, AAN, LE)

Swearing by Titania:

Titania wept (AAN)
Titania's teeth (AAN)
Sweet Titania (AAN, LE, TBF)
Titania's bones (LE)
Titania's rose (LE)

Swearing by Maeve:

Sweet Lady Maeve (RR)
Maeve's tits (ALH,TBF)
In the name of Maeve (AAN)
By the boon of Maeve (AAN)
Maeve's bones (RR, AAN, TBF)
Maeve wept (AAN)
Maeve's tree (LE)
Sweet Maeve (LE)
I swear to Maeve I'll shoot you (LE)
Maeve's teeth (RR, AAN, LE, TBF)

Swearing is fun!

In keeping with their great love for chart porn, Orbit (my/Mira's science fiction publisher) has posted a fabulous comparison chart of 2008's urban fantasy heroines vs. 2009's urban fantasy heroines. According to the sample set they have scientifically* assembled and presented for your viewing pleasure, stiletto heels and pouty lips are out, while sensible shoes and kicking your ass is in.

Check out the chart. Now check out this blog post by sandramcdonald, which includes a handy visual guide to many "classic" urban fantasy poses. What I find interesting is that the majority of these covers are classic-turned-cliche; they're not bad, they're just things that were very, very popular, and were consequentially overdone.

When I first sold the Toby books, a few people said to me, "You realize Toby's going to be a busty blonde with a tramp-stamp, right?" I acknowledged that I did, in fact, know this, but that I was okay with it if it would get the book out into the world. When my editor at DAW asked if I had any requests for the cover, I said I had two.

"I'd like her to have brown hair, and wear clothes."

Anything else? Nope. Just brown hair, and clothes. Toby is not the sort of girl who goes out in a miniskirt and a halter top—not unless she's under extreme duress—and she's never dyed her hair. I was incredibly lucky, and got what I asked for, along with a leather jacket, a petulant expression, and a gloomy, atmospheric backdrop. She didn't look much like an urban fantasy heroine (a few people even thought she was a boy), but she looked exactly like I wanted her to look. Now, a year later, she looks a lot like an urban fantasy heroine, because the rules have been changing. And it's wonderful!

Don't take this as "all urban fantasy covers used to be bad," because they weren't, and I really, really like a lot of them. All the elements currently in decline have their place in the genre. Toby doesn't have any tattoos...but Alice does (Alice is practically a biker gang all by herself), and so do pretty much all the lycanthropic teens in Clady's universe (since that way, your body can be identified even if you die when not in human form). Toby doesn't wear stiletto heels...but Verity does, and thanks to her specific combat style, she would be more than happy to kick your ass while she's wearing them. I just think it's fantastic that the genre has managed to expand to the point where it can include all these different types of heroine, all presented the way they should be presented, not according to some focus group-ideal that half of them don't live up to.

Evolution is awesome...and, apparently, wearing comfortable shoes.

(*In this case "scientifically" means "whatever the summer intern could get her hands on." It's a generous definition.)

Oh, my!

First up, I did another interview with Kenda at Lurv ala Mode, who asked some truly awesome questions, and was, as always, a joy to chat with. Get some hints about Late Eclipses, find out which of Toby's boys I'm 'shipping, and enter to win a copy of any of the first three Toby Daye books. It's fun! And thanks again, Kenda, you rule.

We have some fresh Rosemary and Rue reviews hitting as An Artificial Night approaches. Our first for today is from Fiona and Sara at Inspired Quill, who say, "With a cast of characters that are perhaps not immediately endearing but absolutely real, Seanan McGuire brings the darker side of faerie home to California with Rosemary and Rue. It's very easy to see exactly why this new author has been nominated for a 2010 Campbell Award for Best New Author—Toby's world is a place that Hamilton doesn’t begin to touch, a world where any reader is reminded of the original stories we humans have heard about the fae." Awesome, all around.

Tansy Rayner Roberts has posted a very interesting examination of Rosemary and Rue. She says, "Rosemary and Rue and the rest of the October Daye series may not appeal to the urban fantasy readers who like their sexy magical creatures to be banterific and uncomplicated. Those who appreciate the darker crime novels that are the root of this genre, however, and are looking for a more grown up, hardboiled example of this genre, should definitely check out Rosemary and Rue."

Cookies, Books, and Bikes (love the name) has posted a Rosemary and Rue review, and says, "This was a great book." That...works for me, really. I am a simple soul.

I leave you for now with the Fresh Fiction review of An Artificial Night, which says, "The third in a series featuring October 'Toby' Daye, this story ratchets up the suspense as she literally comes face-to-face with her own death. But despite the grim subject matter, there's a lot of humor, much of which comes from Toby's dry wit and sarcastic attitude. The world building is vivid and realistic, whether it's the human world or one of the fae realms. Readers of the previous books will appreciate the many returning characters, and Blind Michael is a truly chilling villain. This book could be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading the first books, Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation, beforehand. It helps with the rather complex backstory, and they are just as good as this one. Besides, if you're a fan of urban fantasy, this whole series should be in your library anyway!"

See you at the bookstore!

It's August 15th, and that means I need to take a break in my preparation for Australia and make my monthly current projects post. This is the regularly scheduled update which provides the only non-hysteria-inducing answer to the question "What are you working on?" It has the extra added bonus of proving that I am able to stop time, since otherwise, even I don't quite understand how the hell I'm getting everything finished in a timely manner. Seriously, I don't think I sleep. This is the August list of current projects, because I am the gift that keeps on giving.

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. Discount Armageddon is off the list because it has been turned in to The Agent. Late Eclipses is off the list because it has been turned in to The Editor.

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 )

With An Artificial Night [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy] just around the corner and the links building up like crazy, it's time for a Toby-centric review roundup. To, y'know, take the pressure off a little bit. Also? It's fun.

First up, the Literate Kitty reminds us where it all began with an excellent review of Rosemary and Rue. She says, "Even though Rosemary and Rue reads as if it came from the pen of an experienced writer, it is, in fact, Seanan McGuire's first published novel...and what a fabulously-engrossing novel she has produced for her debut. Avoiding the major pitfall inherent in the work of so many other writers out there today—that of falling back on yet another retelling of a story we've all read before—McGuire has created a fresh and original story, with an array of well-drawn characters, an extremely well-realized world, and full of intricate plotting—and she has accomplished it all in a poetic, lyrical style." Awesome!

You can't stop the beat, and the Literate Kitty keeps rocking with a review of A Local Habitation. She says, "McGuire has succeeded in fashioning yet another brilliantly-inventive, twisty tale. She’s given me characters I genuinely care about and a world I'm fascinated with; I can hardly wait to see how those characters and that world interact and change and grow as time passes. Far from being a stagnant place which lives only on the printed page, McGuire's creation now runs freely through my imagination...and I'm more than happy to let it do so, for as long as she writes such compelling and beautiful stories." Ahem. Swoon.

Rene at Errant Dreams has posted a thoughtful, balanced review of A Local Habitation, and says, "This book has so many well-constructed layers that I got completely sucked in. I was on tenterhooks worrying about characters that I genuinely cared for, while having a blast learning about and trying to figure out a wonderfully complex set of interactions between the fae and the modern world. And while Toby is definitely an urban fantasy heroine, she manages to do it without a lot of the self-indulgent self-pity that I've seen in other urban fantasy series. This book made me care, laugh, and cry, and I can't wait to see what Toby does next." Win!

I Read Good (great blog name) has posted a review of A Local Habitation, and says, "Once again, Seanan McGuire has delivered an awesome read. A Local Habitation is fantastic." Short, sweet, works for me.

And the cherry atop today's sundae of awesome...a shiny new review of An Artificial Night from Kendra at Lurv ala Mode. She says, "An Artificial Night carries on the series tradition of starting off with a bang and pretty much refusing to let the reader rest from there on out. Which is how I like this series to be: fast-paced, gritty and emotionally gripping." Also: "This has been the kind of series that I ache for the next book immediately upon finishing the current release." So much awesome, there are no words.

That's it for right now; more to come, with a Feed-centric roundup scheduled for this weekend, as I try to beat down the links. Twenty-five days to An Artificial Night!

Item the first: I have updated my website appearances. Go, view, and learn where I'm going to be. I have confirmed appearances in Australia, New York, California, and Oregon. Which brings me to...

Item the second: I am delighted and honored to announce that I have been selected as the Friends of Filk Guest for OryCon 32. This year's theme is "the Darker Side of Fantasy," which is something I feel I can work with quite well. I'll be appearing with Vixy and Tony, which always makes me happy, and maybe I'll even have a brand new album by then! The convention will be held in Portland, Oregon, from November 12th through the 14th. I hope you can make it, if it's even remotely local to you.

Item the third: If you ever feel the need to quit your job, this is pretty much the way to do it. Style, a sense of humor, and a great way of making your point. (I do wonder what kind of reference she's going to get, but...) Just don't read the comments. The sexism can get a little scary at certain points. But the facial expressions are twenty miles beyond awesome.

Item the fourth: This is what you've all been waiting for, which is a large part of why I've been keeping you in suspense. I'd say that I was sorry, but you'd all know that I was lying through my teeth. So instead, I shall say LOOK! SHINY! Much more effective.

Icons and Wallpapers for An Artificial Night have been posted on my site.

Tara has really outdone herself with this latest batch, and I am absolutely enthralled by her graphic awesome. Some will make more sense after you've read the book, but they're all fantastic now. Go, look, take, have, and join the flailing excitement as you realize...book three is ALMOST HERE.

Gleh.

First up, sageautumn to the white courtesy telephone; sageautumn, please pick up the white courtesy telephone. You are the third and final winner of an ARC of An Artificial Night! To claim your prize, please email me via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours. If I don't hear from you by this time tomorrow, I'll draw another winner.

Secondly, the winners of a free copy of Rosemary and Rue are...

markush
jeffreycwells
dragonsflame71
the_liz666
evaleastaristev

All of you, please follow the directions above. Again, yadda yadda, twenty-four hours OR THE ICE WEASELS COME.

(Administrative foo: No, people cannot win more than once, even if the random number generator wants them to. No, you cannot contact me through any other means. I'm not allowed to unleash the ice weasels without Kate's permission, you can't message me through LJ. If you do, I won't see it, and you'll miss the window.)

cupcakery to the white courtesy telephone; cupcakery, please pick up the white courtesy telephone. You have won an ARC of An Artificial Night. To claim your prize, please email me via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours. If I don't hear from you by this time tomorrow, I'll draw another winner.

(Administrative foo: No, people cannot win more than once, even if the random number generator wants them to. No, you cannot contact me through any other means. I can't subjugate this puny planet to my iron will, you can't message me through LJ. If you do, I won't see it, and you'll miss the window.)

The final winner, and the winners of the free Rosemary and Rue, will be announced later tonight, after they're selected. So you can still enter either of those giveaways. We have time for one more effort-required giveaway before I leave for Australia; if you have suggestions, please post 'em here, and I'll pick what I like best.

Whee!

kerimaya to the white courtesy telephone; kerimaya, please pick up the white courtesy telephone. You have won an ARC of An Artificial Night. To claim your prize, please email me via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours. If I don't hear from you by this time tomorrow, I'll draw another winner.

(Administrative foo: No, people cannot win more than once, even if the random number generator wants them to. No, you cannot contact me through any other means. I can't visit Ireland by flying rainbow dragon, you can't message me through LJ. If you do, I won't see it, and you'll miss the window.)

More to come tomorrow!

With the third book in the Toby series coming up (rapidly), I want to make sure that people who want the opportunity to read the series at all have the chance. So...

I am giving away five copies of Rosemary and Rue. I am unfortunately able to give them to US addresses only; the cost of postage is just too high for me to be able to do this with International shipping on top of everything else. What do you need to do?

1) Comment here, explaining either a) why you'd like a copy of Rosemary and Rue, or b) why I should be giving a copy to someone else (a friend, a relative, that guy who commented right before you...)

2) That's all. I'll pick winners on Sunday evening, when I draw the winners of the latest ARC contest. (Which is still going, by the way, and you have to enter if you want to win.)

Yes, you can enter both. Rock and roll!

The links are seriously trying to eat me over here, you guys. And in answer to a question I keep getting asked (well, two questions, really): I don't link every review, whether positive or negative, because some of them are short, or have spoilers, or don't show up in my Google scans, or are friend-locked here on LJ, or or or. I tend to throw links I plan to post into a big list, and then grab almost at random when doing a roundup. So while half the links will be new, half of them will be older, and have been patiently waiting their turn. All good things come to those who wait.

Anyway...

Harriet Klausner has reviewed An Artificial Night. I don't know how she reads as much as she does, but the appearance of her review means that release really is right around the corner. The terrifying...terrifying corner.

The Literate Kitty has also posted a review of An Artificial Night. I have to say, I love this review, because the reviewer's sense of humor cracks me up. She says "Have a tough job involving some nasty-angry-crazy fae business, dial 555-TOBY," and "So, yes, when Toby wakes up each day, she’d really prefer there be considerably less of that charging-headfirst-into-danger penciled in on her daily planner. Her life is tough enough, without the equivalent of walking around sticking forks into wall outlets in flooded rooms during electrical storms." Love! As for the book itself, she says:

"As much as I'm crazy about the first two books in this series...I love An Artificial Night that much more."

...and...

"An Artificial Night is both pure fairy tale—a spine-tingly reminder of all those fantastical stories from my youth—and gritty, tough tale, which feels really right."

Backing up a book, Amberdrake has posted a review of A Local Habitation at BSC Review. She says, "I found this second book in the series to be a very quick, fun, and interesting read. I really enjoy October as a character, because she isn’t perfect and she knows it, and she works around her limitations as well as the expectations others have of her. Another little treat is McGuire's use of Shakespeare in the titles. Both Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation are from Shakespeare, and they are both very fitting for the books they title. (I would tell you why they are fitting, but I found it very fun to do the research and find the original quotes and read the surrounding text and get why the author chose them as the titles. Trust me, it won't take long to find out and you'll have fun along the way.)" Anyone advocating Shakespeare is okay by me!

Charlotte has reviewed Feed over at Blogging For A Good Book, and she says, "The prose, punctuated by posts from George, Shaun, and Buffy, is as fast moving and punchline-driven as the tagline on the cover (“The good news: we survived. The bad news: so did they”). The close sibling relationship between George and Shaun, despite their constant bickering, is well done, and it’s their fear for one another that makes the stakes seem real." Yay!

An excellent review/recommendation of Feed is up at Beatrice, and says, "Given the completeness of this particular story, it will be interesting to see where she takes the two promised sequels: What else will she have to say about her zombie-ridden society?" Mwahahahaahahaha.

Finally for today, a review of the Feed audiobook is up at Robots and Vamps. Matt says, "Holy shit. Excuse me for a second while I catch my breath and I apologize for the curse words. For a change, I am going to discuss the ending of this novel first. There is an event that occurs at the end of this story that absolutely crushed me and I still can’t believe that Ms. Grant did it. It was truly epic. For spoiler reasons I won’t discuss the plot twist here but I am in total awe of the author for taking this risk in this day and age of safe urban fantasy fiction. I am still in shock. Let’s put it this way, it affected me the whole day at work as I replayed the events in my head. Wow." I'm...gonna call that a win, really. Yeah. (Plus, there's a comparison to The Stand. EPIC VICTORY.)

More to come!

I'm too tired to be creative, so it's once more time for everyone's favorite ARC giveaway, the random drawing. To participate...

1) Leave a comment telling me why you like Toby. As a reply to the entry, please, not as a reply to someone else's comment. Replies to other people's comments can't win anything.
2) That's all.

But there's a twist! This time, I'm selecting three winners of a signed ARC of An Artificial Night, the third October Daye adventure. The first will be chosen at noon Pacific time on Sunday, August 8th; the second will be chosen at noon Pacific time on Monday, August 9th; and the third will be chosen at eight PM Pacific time on Monday, August 9th. All winners will have twenty-four hours from the time they're announced to provide me with a mailing address before I pick another winner.

The winner will be chosen via random number generation, so going "ooo, ooo, pick me" doesn't improve your chances, it just makes me faintly grumpy. So comment, and let me know why you like Toby—her world, her stories, her as a person, whatever. Maybe you could win an early look!

Behold! For now I wear the human pants! I have finished processing the editorial notes on Late Eclipses, gone through the book end-to-end to make sure everything still makes sense, and finished processing the corrections in Vixy's gloriously detailed machete file. Then I packed it a lunch and sent it off to play with the Machete Squad, who will doubtless hack it to hell before it gets to go back to The Editor for the final time.

The current book stats:

Pages, 369.
Words, 107,372.
Chapters, thirty-seven.
Cans of DDP, oh, wow, I cannot tell you.

I'm finally happy with this book. It's in a very awkward position, because book four is sort of where you get to say "here's when shit gets real," and make people stop treating you like you're writing a trilogy (which I never was). It's a transition book, and it follows An Artificial Night, which is still my favorite in the series. But it's also better than I ever dreamt it would be, and I'm so thrilled to have watched it grow into something wonderful.

In conclusion...

...DINO DANCE PARTY!

Well, I'm home from San Diego; more (much more) on that to come later, once I finish waking up and catching up on my email. First up, here's some link-spam to clean up what's come into my inbox in the interim. Forgive me that it's not as sorted as normal. I'm still not technically awake.

First up, check out this awesome Publishers Weekly review of The Living Dead 2, that upcoming anthology of zombie awesomeness from Night Shade Press. Does it mention my/Mira's new short story, "Everglades," set during the Rising? Why, yes. Yes, it does.

Second up, here's a shiny new review of A Local Habitation, posted by Tracy, who says "I said it in my review of Rosemary and Rue, the first book in the October Daye series; I tend to not be fond of fae mythos in general because it makes my brain hurt. I also said that I really liked Rosemary and Rue despite it...and despite myself. Well, with A Local Habitation, I may have to stop saying it altogether. I don't know what it is about Seanan McGuire, but she makes me like (if not totally understand) fae mythos. That's pretty darn impressive." Yay!

Our one Feed review for the day comes courtesy of Miss Geeky in the UK. It's well-written and thoughtful, but doesn't really have any good pull quotes for this sort of entry. So go check it out, shall you?

Now for the reviews I'm really getting excited about: two more reviews of An Artificial Night have hit the wide, wide world. Pardon me while I hyperventilate, 'kay?

The first is from Rebecca at Dirty Sexy Books, who says, "For me, An Artificial Night brought this series back up to the five-star rating that I gave to book one, Rosemary and Rue. Seanan McGuire's writing feels so dense and weighty to me, like a flour-less chocolate cake, but what astounds me is that her stories are such easy-to-read page-turners as well." Also, "I assumed this would be a rather simple three part play: Toby finds the kids; Toby fights the bad guy; Toby brings them home; The End. I was wrong. It was an emotional ride of ups and downs, and Toby is such a gritty, stubborn little fighter. I love her resolve. Toby's personal story progressed, and I have to say, I like where it's going." Glee!

Also up today is TJ's review at Dreams and Speculation. TJ says "Another strong installment in the Toby Daye series. The story isn't as gleaming with manic energy as the first or second, but still a fast and compelling read." Rock on!

And that's our administrative stuff for the right now. More later.

The first person to answer all questions correctly will win a signed ARC of An Artificial Night! I will notify you via LJ, but you must send me your address via my website by noon PST tomorrow to receive your prize.

You can use both my websites in researching your answers.

( Let the games begin!Collapse )

So here we go again: as of today, we're fifty days away from the official North American release of An Artificial Night [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy]. (Of course, if the first two books are anything to go by, we're actually about thirty-five days away from my hysterical meltdown in the Borders near my office.) If I had a nickel for every day remaining before the official release, I wouldn't have enough to buy myself a Diet Dr Pepper. Which would be sad. I'd rather have a quarter for every day remaining before the official release. Then I could buy lots of Diet Dr Pepper.

Rosemary and Rue [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy] was my first book. A Local Habitation was my second. They taught me a lot about marketing, pre-release crazy, post-release crazy, going crazy from good reviews, going crazy from bad reviews, living by my own rules regarding engaging reviewers and trying to explain myself, hyperventilating when I see my book on shelves, and trying to look nonchalant when I really just want to be screaming "I WROTE A BOOK OH MY GOD YOU GUYS LOOK LOOK LOOK YOU CAN TRADE MONEY FOR GOODS AND SERVICES AND THE GOODS AND SERVICES ARE MY BOOK!!!" while jumping up and down and providing expository hand gestures. This whole process has been a learning experience, and while I'd like to claim that it has left me a calm and mature author, prepared for anything, the fact of the matter is this:

I am so totally going to cry the first time I see An Artificial Night on the bookshelf. And then I'm going to call Vixy and make shrieky bat-noises until she talks me down from my happy hysteria. Because that's just how we roll around here.

I leave for the San Diego International Comic Convention the day after tomorrow. I leave for Australia eleven days before the book officially hits shelves. And I'm Guest of Honor at Spocon next weekend. So clearly, my method for planning a book release mostly involves running myself ragged, falling down, and sleeping until it's all over. This apparently works for me, so who I am I to argue?

Fifty days. A year ago, I was worried that no one would like Toby, that she'd just disappear into the urban fantasy jungle and never be seen again. Now I'm worried about not letting people down, and whether they'll still like Toby now that she's been through a little more and grown a little bit and made up her mind about a few things.

Fifty days.

Wow.

We begin today's "oh my God it's full of links" round-up post with the obligate LiveJournal review, this time by quippe, who says Rosemary and Rue is "An interesting urban fantasy whose central character is very different to the type usually found in this type of fiction and a carefully constructed world with a huge amount of potential, this is an entertaining novel and I will be reading more of this series." Yay!

Meanwhile, the Book Faery has posted a lengthy, lovely review of Rosemary and Rue, and says "I was pleased because I kept guessing. I honestly, for the life of me, could not figure out the ending to this book early on. It wasn't until the very end, when tiny hints were given, that everything suddenly began to click in my mind. So much like the delightful Toby, I was riding this story on the edge of my seat, curious." Also, she likes Tybalt a lot. So at least he has one fan, right? (Ow, ow, don't hit!)

Carrie gives us a two-fer, starting with her review of Rosemary and Rue, in which she says something that pleased me enough to quote at length. Specifically:

"Fairies, to me, are a lot like sparkly vampires: they're based on creatures which were, originally, something much worse, but they've been prettied up to fit in with the buying habits of tween girls and unmarried aunts. Fairies now mean fluttery and flowery and beautiful, but I know better than to believe that. Fairies are supposed to be nasty, bitey little creatures, and impossibly beautiful ice queens, and confusing things made of mixed together bits of tree branches and stolen shoes. They're not creatures of light and happiness, no matter how much glitter you slap on them. Too few people want to write about the dark side of fairies.

"Seanan McGuire understands the dark.

"She blends together Shakespeare, Irish legends, Japanese myth, medieval ballads, and Victorian Flower Fairies to tell a tale so familiar it doesn't occur to you to look for where she's gotten it wrong because it's all unbelievably right. Toby lives in a world that makes sense, in a sad and disturbing way, because it's our world, if you could see just a little more of it."

See, I sort of want this on the back cover of a book, someday.

Carrie also reviewed A Local Habitation, and says "McGuire keeps to the strict first-person perspective that helps set this series apart from other books in the genre. Toby doesn’t know anything that she doesn’t have direct knowledge of, which means that there are times she gets it wrong. Even better, McGuire doesn't 'cheat' by giving Toby a dozen well-informed advisers to fill her in on everything under the sun. There were a few times that I'd figured out a clue before Toby did, and that added to the feeling of anticipation. When you can see the monster just outside the window, the story isn't so much about figuring out if the monster is really there as it is finding out what your heroine will do when it finally catches up to her. McGuire gives us monsters, and Toby is a hero, however reluctantly, because the harder it gets, the more she resigns herself to never giving up."

Carrie, you sure do say the sweetest things...

Also reviewing A Local Habitation is Dana of Reading Amidst the Chaos, who was sadly a little less quotable, but was also a little more critical (these things are not connected), and provides a nicely balanced perspective. (Mind you, as the author, I'm about as biased as they come, so my idea of "balanced" is "liked it, but won't let it have the keys to the liquor cabinet yet." So keep that in mind.) And she thinks they're getting better! Yay!

My list of links is still insane, and I leave for San Diego in two days, so watch for a Feed review roundup tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to go put lotion on my sunburn and sprawl under the air conditioning vent.

Nnngh.

After much debate (and some random number generation), your contestants are...



Voting is open through July 15th. Vote! Mix drinks for your friends (or bake them pies), and get them to vote! Winner gets an ARC of An Artificial Night.

Game on!

hanabishirecca, you are the winner of an ARC of An Artificial Night! Please contact me with your mailing address via my website before Wednesday evening in order to receive your prize.

Also, I expect that YouTube video now.

The voting will commence...soon.

Hello, and welcome to my journal! I'm pretty sure you know who I am, my name being in the URL and all, but just in case, I'm Seanan McGuire (also known as Mira Grant), and you're probably not on Candid Camera. This post exists to answer a few of the questions I get asked on a semi-hemi-demi-regular basis. It may look familiar; that's because it gets updated and re-posted roughly every two months, to let folks who've just wandered in know how things work around here. Also, sometimes I change the questions. Because I can.

If you've read this before, feel free to skip, although there may be interesting new things to discover and know beyond the cut.

Anyway, here you go:

( This way lies a lot of information you may or may not need about the person whose LJ you may or may not be reading right at this moment. Also, I may or may not be the King of Rain, which may or may not explain why it's drizzling right now. Essentially, this is Schrodinger's cut-tag.Collapse )

It's time for another ARC giveaway here in my weird little corner of the world. This time, it's going to be a two-fer. Specifically, we're having both a contest and a random drawing. If you comment at all, you'll be entered in the random drawing for an ARC of An Artificial Night. If you comment and participate in the contest, you'll be entered both in the random drawing, and in the judged portion of the giveaway. Ready? Awesome.

Suggested by talkstowolves, our contest for today is:

"Design signature cocktails or desserts for major characters/places in the Tobyverse."

What does the Luidaeg drink on a Friday night? What's Toby's favorite way to get wasted? How many virgin cocktails can Quentin down before he reaches legal age? Whip up something intoxicating and put it in the comments for the world to see.

The random drawing will be held Monday, July 12th. Voting on the cocktail/dessert competition* will begin the same day, and continue through July 15th. As no actual drinking is involved, you don't have to be twenty-one to enter, and there are lots of websites happy to help you out.

(*If we receive fewer than five entries, I won't do open judging, and the prize will be awarded based on how much I want to drink your cocktail or eat your pie.)

Game on!

Suggested by the lovely valdary:

All Toby books (and in-universe short stories) have titles taken from the works of Shakespeare. There's a lot of Shakespeare out there! So...

To enter for an ARC of An Artificial Night, suggest a quote or quotes that would make a good title for a Toby story. Extra credit if they're quotes not everyone would know (for example, going with An Artificial Night from Romeo and Juliet, rather than something more familiar). Please include the surrounding text in your entry, as well as identifying the scene/sonnet/poem the quote comes from. Entries must be between three and five words.

Example:

Late Eclipses.

"These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend
No good to us: though the wisdom of nature can
Reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself
Scourged by the sequent effects: love cools,
Friendship falls off, brothers divide: in
Cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in
Palaces, treason; and the bond cracked 'twixt son
And father..." —King Lear.

I'll select the winner through random drawing on Tuesday, June 29th. By entering, you grant permission for me to use your title if I think it's awesome, since Shakespeare is public domain and also, well, I might have issues round about book eleven, when everything has been suggested already.

Game on!

The links are once again threatening to completely take over my rolling file*, which is sub-optimal, since I keep other things in that file which I need to be able to locate. So it's time for a mixed review roundup! Yay! Fun for the whole family, or at least, fun for me, since I enjoy review roundups. I'm weird like that. Anyway...

To begin with today, Larissa at Aphelion has posted a review of Feed. She opens with the now-ritual "You got your zombies in my politics!" chant, which makes me giggle, and goes on to say "If you want a simple, standard zombie story where you know who’s going to live and who’s going to die, and why, then this is not the book for you. If you want a political potboiler without humor or surprises, this is not the book for you." So who is it for? "If you want a vividly written science-fiction novel in a painstakingly detailed dystopian world about strong, snarky characters who will make you care desperately about them and keep you from putting the damn book down when your lunch break is over, well, then I can tell you from experience that this is the book for you."

Awesome!

Jawas Read, Too has posted a guest review of Feed, written by Pete, who says "I love zombies, but rarely see them executed well. Feed makes every attempt to buck the tropes of bad horror and says 'What-if' on a scale that will make nerds quiver with joy. What if humanity wasn’t full of idiots that run upstairs and remove their ability to safely egress the house? What if people were armed to protect themselves? What if loved ones were a secondary concern over self preservation? All of these scenarios and more come together to paint a world where humanity has survived the global epidemic of zombie infestation, and it bleeds into every corner of the book." I like making nerds quiver with joy. It's fun!

Tina Matanguihan at The Philippine Online Chronicles has posted a lengthy review of Feed, and says "Feed was actually quite...well, awesome. It's a political thriller written over a horror backdrop, where the presence of the zombies was used to compare how the living can still do more damage than the undead. There were only a handful of zombie encounters in the entire novel, but each of the situations felt so real, that it gave the impression that the zombies were everywhere. Mira Grant allows the readers to think that everything is going fine...and then throws a huge curve ball that changes the game. It's a thrill ride in 600 pages: I was intrigued, elated, shocked, horrified and most of all heartbroken all throughout the story, and...for me, that's what makes a story awesome."

Kain, at Zombies Are Coming, has posted a very long, well-considered review of Feed, and says "Feed is one of the few book, as of late, which I have picked up and gotten truly excited about once I started reading it. Not only is it a story that is immersive and captivating, but it is written by an author that is not afraid to take risks to tell the story." I got two out of two stumps! That's...disgustingly delightful.

Professor Beej does pop culture commentary with an academic slant, and has posted a review of Feed. The academic slant says "If there are two things I love, they’re blogging and zombies. And although I thought that my life would be nearly incomplete without the combination of these two relatively unrelated things, I am pleased to announce that because of reading Mira Grant's Feed, I can die a happy man." Victory! And...um...more seriously: "Feed does something with a topic that many seen worn out and trite that few authors can do. It creates a world that is based solidly in our own and tries to answer a few fundamental questions. Not about zombies or about how we would survive (Romero already taught us that, anyway), but about where we, as a people, act and react in the face of a truly unthinkable catastrophe, and just what part will this newfangled piece of technology we call the Internet play in it?"

Jen over at My Book Addiction has posted a review of A Local Habitation, and says "I loved pretty much everything about this book. It had another freaky mystery for Toby to solve. We get to see even more Fae (I wish I could get Elliot to make a bi-weekly visit to my house)." Also, "We get more of Toby's wonderful sense of humor, especially when she interacts with Quentin, her knight-in-training assistant Boy Wonder." I love that people love Quentin. It really makes my day, because I love him so, and this way I don't feel so bad about the fact that I keep including him in things. Victory is mine!

Kyle Brady has posted a review of A Local Habitation, and says "It's too early to yet tell whether the series will be one of the rare instances in the genre of fantasy where the main character learns, adapts, and matures throughout the various episodes, but it is easy to imagine October Daye becoming more powerful, more prominent, and ultimately more sinister in the coming years." Sinister Toby! That would be awesome! And...uh...sort of terrifying. I'll be over here...

An at A Writer's Block has included her thoughts on both Toby books to date in an awesome thumbnail review batch. Take a look!

The Book Pushers had me back for an interview, because they are wonderful people. I got to answer a question with "Look, a bunny," which always makes me a happy girl. I like bunnies. Bunnies are good.

Look! A zombie bunny with a chainsaw!

Glee.

(*My rolling file contains, among other things, notes on The Brightest Fell, pendant prompts, essay topics, blog post outlines for things I keep meaning to write, notes on the Jan stories, my set list for Westercon, and the outlines of the next "Thoughts On Writing" entry. So I really do need it to continue making something vaguely resembling linear sense, lest my head should explode.)

liret to the white courtesy telephone, will liret please pick up the white courtesy telephone? You would appear to have won an ARC of An Artificial Night (October Daye, book three).

Please email me through my website contact form to provide a mailing address. If I don't get one by Sunday evening, I'll have to draw again.

More contests coming, and congratulations!

My friend Mia makes jewelry. She turns recycled books of fairy tales, myths, and legends into incredible transformative jewelry, unlocking stories from the confetti bones of the stories that came before. I own more of her pendants than I care to really admit to, having acquired at least one or two from just about every sale she's done. You've heard all this before. So why am I saying it again?

Because she's posting a new sale tomorrow on chimera_fancies, her jewelry blog...and once again, it's not just any sale. Because after the success of her pendants based off an ARC of Rosemary and Rue, she decided to repeat her glorious experiment, and created pendants from an ARC of A Local Habitation. ARCs are not intended for resale; they're transitory things, unable to stand up to the stress of multiple re-readings. So Mia, mindful of the ARC's tragically short lifespan, took and transformed it into more than sixty gorgeous pieces of wearable art. I'm very serious. These pendants are some of the best work I've ever seen from her. She's growing as an artist with every piece she does, and for this set, she really busted out all the stops.

All pendants have been signed by me, in either black or silver Sharpie, depending on the base color. They'll be going up in three batches, starting tomorrow. You'll be able to request up to two pendants on Friday or Saturday, and then as many as you like of those remaining come Sunday (see her journal for details). All pendants will be $24, which includes postage.

These really are incredible. I couldn't be happier, or feel more honored, to be working with someone who does such amazing things. The announcement post, complete with previews, is here:

Come for the shiny, stay for the spectacular.

It's time for everyone's favorite ARC giveaway, the random drawing. To participate...

1) Leave a comment. As a reply to the entry, please, not as a reply to someone else's comment.
2) That's all.

I will select the winner of a signed ARC of An Artificial Night, the third October Daye adventure, at noon Pacific time on Friday, June 18th. The winner will have until Sunday evening to provide me with a mailing address; otherwise, I'll pick another winner. The winner will be chosen via random number generation.

So comment, and tell me why you're excited about book three! Maybe you could win an early look!

We are now ninety days out from the release of An Artificial Night (October Daye, book three). It's up on Amazon.com, and people are pre-ordering. The ARCs should be arriving at my house any day now; they may even be waiting for me when I get home tonight. My page proofs have been reviewed, returned to DAW, and confirmed as received, which means this book is now officially outside my control: I can't change anything.

Ninety days.

An Artificial Night is the third and last book on my original contract was DAW. It's also the last book to be mostly complete at the time of sale. Barring editorial notes, small changes, and typo correction, all three have been done since before Rosemary and Rue was released. In many ways, this has been a great thing. On the one hand, it's meant that I couldn't change what I was doing based on outside criticism. On the other hand, it's meant that I couldn't change what I was doing based on outside criticism—I couldn't fix anything, but I also couldn't have a first-time novelist freak-out and wind up completely rewriting the rest of the series to meet an unreachable standard. I know this has been a luxury. It's one I'm very, very glad to have had.

This book is my favorite of the first three. I love the whole thing. I love the situation, I love the reality of it, and I love that Toby is finally past the events of the first book to such an extent that she can really stand up and do her job. I love that in just ninety days, you'll be able to hold it in your hands.

How many miles to Babylon?

Not that many.