Georgia Mason is fighting hard in this year's Unbound Cage Match, and she needs your help.
It's a simple scroll to the bottom and click to vote, and I really want to see Georgia make the finals. Can you imagine the Georgia Mason vs. Harry Dresden snark party? Because I can. Oh, yes, I can.
Please vote if you have a second.
It's a simple scroll to the bottom and click to vote, and I really want to see Georgia make the finals. Can you imagine the Georgia Mason vs. Harry Dresden snark party? Because I can. Oh, yes, I can.
Please vote if you have a second.
- Current Mood:
excited - Current Music:Hadestown, "Any Way the Wind Blows."
Finally, I am at liberty to reveal a secret I have been keeping and gnawing on for far too long (and which was, in its own way, the reason the current projects posts had to be put on unannounced hiatus):
The Atargatis was lost with all hands. It's time to go back out to sea.
Into the Drowning Deep is a full-length follow-up to my novella, "Rolling in the Deep." Set seven years later, it follows the crew of the Melusine as they set out to discover, once and for all, what really happened when the sea was filled with light and the wind offered no safety.
I am so excited.
I am excited for a lot of reasons. Mermaids; science; murder. The best things in life.
Into the Drowning Deep will be released in November 2017, and can be pre-ordered now from a major retailer or independent bookseller near you.
The Atargatis was lost with all hands. It's time to go back out to sea.
Into the Drowning Deep is a full-length follow-up to my novella, "Rolling in the Deep." Set seven years later, it follows the crew of the Melusine as they set out to discover, once and for all, what really happened when the sea was filled with light and the wind offered no safety.
I am so excited.
I am excited for a lot of reasons. Mermaids; science; murder. The best things in life.
Into the Drowning Deep will be released in November 2017, and can be pre-ordered now from a major retailer or independent bookseller near you.
- Current Mood:
ecstatic - Current Music:Consonance 2012, "Evil Laugh."
...a signed copy of Rolling in the Deep!
Welcome to the twelfth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The twelfth giveaway is for a signed copy of Rolling in the Deep, now totally out of print. This is going to be a random number drawing, because honestly, that is all I am managing to keep up with. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Monday, December 19th.
Game on!
Welcome to the twelfth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The twelfth giveaway is for a signed copy of Rolling in the Deep, now totally out of print. This is going to be a random number drawing, because honestly, that is all I am managing to keep up with. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Monday, December 19th.
Game on!
- Current Mood:
awake - Current Music:Belle Histoire, "Do You Love Me."
...a signed copy of Feedback!
Welcome to the tenth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The eleventh giveaway is for a signed copy of Feedback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because honestly, that is all I am managing to keep up with. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. Indicate that you have read the rest of the series. Because this is an inversion of Feed, I am only comfortable awarding this specific prize to someone who has read the original trilogy.
4. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Sunday, December 18th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
Welcome to the tenth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The eleventh giveaway is for a signed copy of Feedback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because honestly, that is all I am managing to keep up with. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. Indicate that you have read the rest of the series. Because this is an inversion of Feed, I am only comfortable awarding this specific prize to someone who has read the original trilogy.
4. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Sunday, December 18th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
- Current Mood: awake
- Current Music:Jesca Hoop, "Murder of Birds."
...a copy of When Will You Rise!
Welcome to the eighth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of When Will You Rise, the first Mira Grant book released by Subterranean Press. (As an FYI, this is also the one that you can still order directly from the publisher, and it makes a lovely holiday gift.) This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am not feeling creative right now. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Thursday, December 15th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
Welcome to the eighth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of When Will You Rise, the first Mira Grant book released by Subterranean Press. (As an FYI, this is also the one that you can still order directly from the publisher, and it makes a lovely holiday gift.) This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am not feeling creative right now. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Thursday, December 15th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
- Current Mood:
exanimate - Current Music:Nothing. It is too early in the morning.
...a signed copy of Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Short Fiction! Win this awesome tome for yourself, for a friend, or for a local library!
Welcome to the fourth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The fourth giveaway is for a signed copy of Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Short Fiction, published under the Mira Grant byline. This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am not feeling creative right now. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage. Please be aware that this is a LARGE hardcover: the cost of mailing this internationally will be considerably more than the value of the book.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Sunday, December 11th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
Welcome to the fourth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, I am avoiding the post office as much as possible until that other winter holiday is over).
The fourth giveaway is for a signed copy of Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Short Fiction, published under the Mira Grant byline. This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am not feeling creative right now. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage. Please be aware that this is a LARGE hardcover: the cost of mailing this internationally will be considerably more than the value of the book.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Sunday, December 11th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
- Current Mood:
accomplished - Current Music:Mom telling lousy jokes.
I usually start these posts with "I am pleased...". I'm not pleased right now. I'm not sure I'll ever be pleased again. Like so many of us, I am sick and scared and sad. I'm wishing I weren't getting so many random apologies from people who found the villain in Feed cartoony and unrealistic, but now find him horrifyingly plausible. I'm wishing a lot of things.
But time passes; the Turtle moves; the work goes on, and my fear and my sadness do not mean I can let y'all miss things you might want to know about. So:
It is my privilege to announce that I (as Mira Grant) am doing another novella with Subterranean Press. Final Girls is a story about virtual reality, psychotherapy, corporate espionage, and figuring out exactly who you are. According to the website...
What if you could fix the worst parts of yourself by confronting your worst fears?
Dr. Jennifer Webb has invented proprietary virtual reality technology that purports to heal psychological wounds by running clients through scenarios straight out of horror movies and nightmares. In a carefully controlled environment, with a medical cocktail running through their veins, sisters might develop a bond they've been missing their whole lives—while running from the bogeyman through a simulated forest. But...can real change come so easily?
Esther Hoffman doubts it. Esther has spent her entire journalism career debunking pseudoscience, after phony regression therapy ruined her father’s life. She's determined to unearth the truth about Dr. Webb’s budding company. Dr. Webb’s willing to let her, of course, for reasons of her own. What better advertisement could she get than that of a convinced skeptic? But Esther's not the only one curious about how this technology works. Enter real-world threats just as frightening as those created in the lab. Dr. Webb and Esther are at odds, but they may also be each other's only hope of survival.
Limited to 1,250 signed, numbered copies, Final Girls is available for pre-order now, and will be shipping in April. This is going to be a gorgeous book. Julie Dillon, who did the cover for Rolling in the Deep, is doing the cover for this one too, and I am so excited. Remember that Rolling in the Deep sold out fast, and is now virtually unattainable unless you're lucky or have a book budget I really envy, and order yours today!
But time passes; the Turtle moves; the work goes on, and my fear and my sadness do not mean I can let y'all miss things you might want to know about. So:
It is my privilege to announce that I (as Mira Grant) am doing another novella with Subterranean Press. Final Girls is a story about virtual reality, psychotherapy, corporate espionage, and figuring out exactly who you are. According to the website...
What if you could fix the worst parts of yourself by confronting your worst fears?
Dr. Jennifer Webb has invented proprietary virtual reality technology that purports to heal psychological wounds by running clients through scenarios straight out of horror movies and nightmares. In a carefully controlled environment, with a medical cocktail running through their veins, sisters might develop a bond they've been missing their whole lives—while running from the bogeyman through a simulated forest. But...can real change come so easily?
Esther Hoffman doubts it. Esther has spent her entire journalism career debunking pseudoscience, after phony regression therapy ruined her father’s life. She's determined to unearth the truth about Dr. Webb’s budding company. Dr. Webb’s willing to let her, of course, for reasons of her own. What better advertisement could she get than that of a convinced skeptic? But Esther's not the only one curious about how this technology works. Enter real-world threats just as frightening as those created in the lab. Dr. Webb and Esther are at odds, but they may also be each other's only hope of survival.
Limited to 1,250 signed, numbered copies, Final Girls is available for pre-order now, and will be shipping in April. This is going to be a gorgeous book. Julie Dillon, who did the cover for Rolling in the Deep, is doing the cover for this one too, and I am so excited. Remember that Rolling in the Deep sold out fast, and is now virtually unattainable unless you're lucky or have a book budget I really envy, and order yours today!
- Current Mood:
numb - Current Music:The house, silent and settling.
Feedback, by Mira Grant (me) is now available from fine bookstores and e-retailers in North America and the United Kingdom! This standalone entry in the Newsflesh world follows a new blogging team through a new adventure...and a very familiar period in time. Feedback begins the day Feed begins; it ends the day Feed ends.
It's everything in the middle that's new.
So come. Meet Ash, our Irwin narrator and Irish immigrant. Meet Ben, her Newsie companion and husband-on-paper, who's seen a less privileged side of the post-Rising world. Meet Audrey, Fictional, artist, and girlfriend, who's getting a little tired of waiting for Ash to get her life together. Meet Mat, makeup and maker blogger. Meet a lot of people, and find out how many of them will walk away.
Because Feedback provides a new angle on the original trilogy, I do not recommend picking it up until you've read Feed at the minimum, and hopefully Deadline and Blackout as well. But I hope you'll come to my party. I have so many stories to tell you.
This will serve as your discussion post; expect spoilers in the comments.
It's everything in the middle that's new.
So come. Meet Ash, our Irwin narrator and Irish immigrant. Meet Ben, her Newsie companion and husband-on-paper, who's seen a less privileged side of the post-Rising world. Meet Audrey, Fictional, artist, and girlfriend, who's getting a little tired of waiting for Ash to get her life together. Meet Mat, makeup and maker blogger. Meet a lot of people, and find out how many of them will walk away.
Because Feedback provides a new angle on the original trilogy, I do not recommend picking it up until you've read Feed at the minimum, and hopefully Deadline and Blackout as well. But I hope you'll come to my party. I have so many stories to tell you.
This will serve as your discussion post; expect spoilers in the comments.
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Vast, "Here."
Have a look:
The cover for Feedback is now live.
This full-length Newsflesh-universe novel spans the same time period as Feed, following a group of reporters tasked with documenting the Democratic candidate for the presidency. Meet Aislinn "Ash" North, an Irwin Irish expatriate coming to the end of her green card marriage; Benjamin Ross, her Newsie husband, who has just buried his mother and is looking for something new to believe in; Audrey Liqiu Wen, a Fictional with a secret, and Ash's girlfriend; and Mat Newson, a makeup and car repair blogger under the Fictional umbrella. Meet the candidate.
Meet the dangers.
We already know how this ends. Sometimes the journey is what really matters.
I'm so excited!
The cover for Feedback is now live.
This full-length Newsflesh-universe novel spans the same time period as Feed, following a group of reporters tasked with documenting the Democratic candidate for the presidency. Meet Aislinn "Ash" North, an Irwin Irish expatriate coming to the end of her green card marriage; Benjamin Ross, her Newsie husband, who has just buried his mother and is looking for something new to believe in; Audrey Liqiu Wen, a Fictional with a secret, and Ash's girlfriend; and Mat Newson, a makeup and car repair blogger under the Fictional umbrella. Meet the candidate.
Meet the dangers.
We already know how this ends. Sometimes the journey is what really matters.
I'm so excited!
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:Merav eating her lunch.
It's time for bullet-point updates! Hooray!
* Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 21st) marks the release of RISE, the complete Newsflesh short fiction collection. This book gathers everything from "Everglades" through Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus, along with two never-before-published pieces, All the Pretty Little Horses and Coming to You Live. It's not intended as an introduction to the world--at least four of the novellas are post-the original trilogy, which makes them great whopping slices of spoiler--but I'm incredibly proud of this material, and over the moon about finally having a short fiction collection of my very own. I feel like Stephen King. It's pretty awesome.
* Today is the last day of the Unicorn Empire T-shirt pre-sale for their gorgeous Toby Daye design. Don't miss out!
* CrossingsCon is this weekend! The first ever Young Wizards fan convention, and I'm one of their guests of honor! I keep closing my eyes and remembering standing in my middle school library with So You Want to Be a Wizard in my hand, and I'll be honest: I feel like a wizard right now. In Life's name, and for Life's sake, I feel like a wizard. Because somehow, I have willed the adulthood I wanted into being, and for all that it's not perfect, it's the imperfection that makes it all seem real.
Everything is amazing.
* Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 21st) marks the release of RISE, the complete Newsflesh short fiction collection. This book gathers everything from "Everglades" through Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus, along with two never-before-published pieces, All the Pretty Little Horses and Coming to You Live. It's not intended as an introduction to the world--at least four of the novellas are post-the original trilogy, which makes them great whopping slices of spoiler--but I'm incredibly proud of this material, and over the moon about finally having a short fiction collection of my very own. I feel like Stephen King. It's pretty awesome.
* Today is the last day of the Unicorn Empire T-shirt pre-sale for their gorgeous Toby Daye design. Don't miss out!
* CrossingsCon is this weekend! The first ever Young Wizards fan convention, and I'm one of their guests of honor! I keep closing my eyes and remembering standing in my middle school library with So You Want to Be a Wizard in my hand, and I'll be honest: I feel like a wizard right now. In Life's name, and for Life's sake, I feel like a wizard. Because somehow, I have willed the adulthood I wanted into being, and for all that it's not perfect, it's the imperfection that makes it all seem real.
Everything is amazing.
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:October Project, "Something More Than This."
We are now exactly fifty days from the publication of RISE, my first short fiction collection--and more, the first collection of short fiction from the Newsflesh universe. This stunning hardcover book will include, in order:
Countdown
"Everglades"
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats
How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea
The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell
Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus
All the Pretty Little Horses
Coming to You Live
If those last two titles are unfamiliar, it's because they are two all new novellas, written specifically for this collection. Also new to this collection, introductions providing more information about every single story.
I am so excited about this collection, y'all. Copies will be available from bookstores all over North America on June 21st, right before CrossingsCon in New York. I'll be appearing at Borderlands Books, in San Francisco, CA on July 9th as part of the Superhero Team-Up book tour with Sarah Kuhn and Amber Benson, for all your signed copy needs.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support, which has made this book, and so much else, possible.
Rise up while you can.
Countdown
"Everglades"
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats
How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea
The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell
Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus
All the Pretty Little Horses
Coming to You Live
If those last two titles are unfamiliar, it's because they are two all new novellas, written specifically for this collection. Also new to this collection, introductions providing more information about every single story.
I am so excited about this collection, y'all. Copies will be available from bookstores all over North America on June 21st, right before CrossingsCon in New York. I'll be appearing at Borderlands Books, in San Francisco, CA on July 9th as part of the Superhero Team-Up book tour with Sarah Kuhn and Amber Benson, for all your signed copy needs.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support, which has made this book, and so much else, possible.
Rise up while you can.
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:Christina Perri, "The Words."
The random number generator has spoken, and the winner of a copy of Chimera is...
Rachele Willoughby!
Instructions for the winner: Please comment on this post letting me know that you're claiming your prize and send me an email via my website (www.seananmcguire.com) with your mailing information. Both comment and email must be received by Friday, December 11th to be considered valid.
Twelve more days to go!
Rachele Willoughby!
Instructions for the winner: Please comment on this post letting me know that you're claiming your prize and send me an email via my website (www.seananmcguire.com) with your mailing information. Both comment and email must be received by Friday, December 11th to be considered valid.
Twelve more days to go!
- Current Mood:
apathetic - Current Music:Hamilton, "History Has Its Eyes On You."
...a copy of Symbiont in paperback!
Welcome to the eighth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, avoiding the post office until that other winter holiday is over).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of Symbiont in paperback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because Kate is sitting on the porch waiting for me. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, December 15th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
Welcome to the eighth of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, avoiding the post office until that other winter holiday is over).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of Symbiont in paperback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because Kate is sitting on the porch waiting for me. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, December 15th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now CLOSED.
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Kate coming to get me.
...a copy of Chimera!
Welcome to the second of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, avoiding the post office until that other winter holiday is over).
The second giveaway is for a copy of Chimera, the conclusion to the Parasitology trilogy. This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am about to leave for the airport. Please be aware that I am not guaranteeing US vs. UK edition: you're going to get whichever comes to hand when it's take to pack things. This means that if you're really dedicated to getting a book that matches the books you may already have, this is probably a bad giveaway for you. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Wednesday, December 9th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now closed.
Welcome to the second of the Thirteen Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 13th. Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 30th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, avoiding the post office until that other winter holiday is over).
The second giveaway is for a copy of Chimera, the conclusion to the Parasitology trilogy. This is going to be a random number drawing, because I am about to leave for the airport. Please be aware that I am not guaranteeing US vs. UK edition: you're going to get whichever comes to hand when it's take to pack things. This means that if you're really dedicated to getting a book that matches the books you may already have, this is probably a bad giveaway for you. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate both this and your willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Wednesday, December 9th.
Game on!
ETA: This drawing is now closed.
- Current Mood:
restless - Current Music:Cake Bake Betty, "One by One."
Hey! You!
This coming Saturday, December 5th, will be the book release party for Chimera at Borderlands Books in San Francisco, California! Borderlands Books is an independent bookstore specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery; what's more, they are happy to take phone and email orders for signed and personalized books. Yay!
The party begins at 3:00pm. Come for a Q&A, signing, raffle, and the usual "more." What does "more" mean? Well, you'll have to be there to find out.
In case you missed it, the open discussion post for Chimera is located here. Have fun!
This coming Saturday, December 5th, will be the book release party for Chimera at Borderlands Books in San Francisco, California! Borderlands Books is an independent bookstore specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery; what's more, they are happy to take phone and email orders for signed and personalized books. Yay!
The party begins at 3:00pm. Come for a Q&A, signing, raffle, and the usual "more." What does "more" mean? Well, you'll have to be there to find out.
In case you missed it, the open discussion post for Chimera is located here. Have fun!
- Current Mood: awake
- Current Music:The Lumineers, "Morning Song."
To celebrate the release of Chimera, here. Have an open thread to discuss the book. Because nothing says "Thanksgiving" like "tapeworms." Judging by the comments I'm seeing, some of you have had time, and I'd really, really rather book discussion (sometimes including spoilers) didn't crop up on other posts.
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.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.
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 try not to bleed on the carpet.
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.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.
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 try not to bleed on the carpet.
- Current Mood:
busy - Current Music:Hamilton, "Alexander Hamilton."
Tomorrow, November 24th, is my bookday! Happy bookday to me! Very soon, Chimera will be available from bookstores all over North America and the United Kingdom, and from import stores all over the world. It has yet to be spotted in the wild, but I know it's coming. Hooray!
Since it's release week, I figured it was time to once again answer the wonderful people asking how they can help. So here are a few dos and don'ts for making this book launch awesome.
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 (and come see me at the Brooklyn WORD if you're in the New York area); if you can get it at my book release party at Borderlands on December 5th, get it at my book release party. Whatever works for you. Brick-and-mortar store purchases are best, as they encourage reordering. If you've already bought the book, consider buying the book again during release week, 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, and I have never forgotten it. 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 Barnes and Noble, the odds are 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 believe 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 for your permanent collection, but remember that bibliophile friends, 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 pressure 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. Ask first if they're taking donations; they may tell you that donated books go straight to the Friends of the Library book sale. Consider doing it anyway. FOTL benefits both the library and local low-income people looking for a way to read new books on a budget.
DO suggest the book to bookstore employees who like biomedical science fiction. 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 things. 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 a new book on shelves and final edits due on Once Broken Faith, a lot of things are falling by the wayside. Like sleep.
If you're in the New York area, I hope to see you tomorrow night at the Brooklyn WORD, where I will be reading, signing, and answering questions for your enjoyment!
Whee!
Since it's release week, I figured it was time to once again answer the wonderful people asking how they can help. So here are a few dos and don'ts for making this book launch awesome.
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 (and come see me at the Brooklyn WORD if you're in the New York area); if you can get it at my book release party at Borderlands on December 5th, get it at my book release party. Whatever works for you. Brick-and-mortar store purchases are best, as they encourage reordering. If you've already bought the book, consider buying the book again during release week, 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, and I have never forgotten it. 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 Barnes and Noble, the odds are 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 believe 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 for your permanent collection, but remember that bibliophile friends, 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 pressure 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. Ask first if they're taking donations; they may tell you that donated books go straight to the Friends of the Library book sale. Consider doing it anyway. FOTL benefits both the library and local low-income people looking for a way to read new books on a budget.
DO suggest the book to bookstore employees who like biomedical science fiction. 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 things. 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 a new book on shelves and final edits due on Once Broken Faith, a lot of things are falling by the wayside. Like sleep.
If you're in the New York area, I hope to see you tomorrow night at the Brooklyn WORD, where I will be reading, signing, and answering questions for your enjoyment!
Whee!
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:Silence and the house sort of humming.
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the November 2015 post. It was supposed to go up yesterday, but New York is running me cheerfully ragged, and shows no signs of stopping any time soon.
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 bizarre 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 (Chimera, Chaos Choreography). Once Broken Faith, Rewind, The Nativity of Chance, and Magic For Nothing are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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 (Chimera, Chaos Choreography). Once Broken Faith, Rewind, The Nativity of Chance, and Magic For Nothing are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood:
groggy - Current Music:Interpol, "Specialist."
The brand-new, all-shiny MiraGrant.com is now live! Check it out, and be amazed by the shiny!
I am delighted with my site redesign, and hope you'll all like it just as much as I do.
I am delighted with my site redesign, and hope you'll all like it just as much as I do.
- Current Mood:
happy - Current Music:The Devil's Carnival, "Grace for Sale."
Ahem:
You might want to click this link and find out my exciting news for next summer.
This beautiful book will include all the Newsflesh short fiction to date, from "Everglades" through to "Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus," as well as two brand-new novellas that no one has ever seen before. I'm super-excited, and I think you will be too, once you see what's in store.
I'm also super-excited because this is my first short fiction collection. Another item checked off the bucket list!
Happy blonde is happy.
When will you rise?
You might want to click this link and find out my exciting news for next summer.
This beautiful book will include all the Newsflesh short fiction to date, from "Everglades" through to "Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus," as well as two brand-new novellas that no one has ever seen before. I'm super-excited, and I think you will be too, once you see what's in store.
I'm also super-excited because this is my first short fiction collection. Another item checked off the bucket list!
Happy blonde is happy.
When will you rise?
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:Pentatonix, "Na Na Na."
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the October 2015 post. Hooray! It is beginning to cool down, but my state is still constantly on fire.
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 bizarre 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 (Chimera, Chaos Choreography). Once Broken Faith, Rewind, The Nativity of Chance, and Magic For Nothing are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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 (Chimera, Chaos Choreography). Once Broken Faith, Rewind, The Nativity of Chance, and Magic For Nothing are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Pentatonix, "Standing By."
Mira Grant fans!
Symbiont comes out in paperback tomorrow! It's blue and it's pretty and buying it feeds my cats, so...
Yay paperback release!
Symbiont comes out in paperback tomorrow! It's blue and it's pretty and buying it feeds my cats, so...
Yay paperback release!
- Current Mood:
exhausted - Current Music:People wandering around in New Orleans.
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow will mark the release of "Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus," a new Newsflesh novella focusing on the lab, life, and times of Dr. Shannon Abbey. The novella will be available through the Orbit Short Fiction Program, as well as through a friendly e-book retailer near you.
After release, when some of you have finished the text in fifteen minutes, this will serve as your discussion post. (So basically, starting tomorrow, there will probably be spoilers here.)
Newsflesh!
After release, when some of you have finished the text in fifteen minutes, this will serve as your discussion post. (So basically, starting tomorrow, there will probably be spoilers here.)
Newsflesh!
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:The Smithereens, "Blood and Roses."
Better late than never, and I'm in England, which makes a little tardiness forgivable (because I don't live here, not because the English are chronically tardy, although if one judges by my friends, the English are maybe a little chronically tardy), so...
Rolling in the Deep, my story of mermaids and deep sea exploration and why maybe combining the two is a bad plan, is out! Yay!
The print edition is already sold out at Subterranean Press's website! I, er. Less yay.
But! There are other ways to get this fabulous tale of sirens and slaughter. The eBook edition is available now, from many fine retailers. If you still want to have a physical copy to stroke and love and call your own, I have called Borderlands and confirmed that they have five copies (5) on order. (They might be able to get a few more from their distributor. It's all a matter of timing. So.)
If you want to get a physical copy of your very own, please call—don't email, as email can take a while to be answered—Borderlands Books at 415 824-8203. The books are en route and are definitely coming to the store. If they go quickly, the store will attempt to obtain more from their supplier, but cannot guarantee any additional stock at this time.
Mermaids!
Rolling in the Deep, my story of mermaids and deep sea exploration and why maybe combining the two is a bad plan, is out! Yay!
The print edition is already sold out at Subterranean Press's website! I, er. Less yay.
But! There are other ways to get this fabulous tale of sirens and slaughter. The eBook edition is available now, from many fine retailers. If you still want to have a physical copy to stroke and love and call your own, I have called Borderlands and confirmed that they have five copies (5) on order. (They might be able to get a few more from their distributor. It's all a matter of timing. So.)
If you want to get a physical copy of your very own, please call—don't email, as email can take a while to be answered—Borderlands Books at 415 824-8203. The books are en route and are definitely coming to the store. If they go quickly, the store will attempt to obtain more from their supplier, but cannot guarantee any additional stock at this time.
Mermaids!
- Current Mood:
surprised - Current Music:Teddy and Tom watching TV in the next room.
It's me and Andy Weir (author of The Martian) talking about the state of science fiction and the creative writing process on Thursday night at Books Inc. in Mountain View. Come see us jabber on, and enjoy the excitement of not knowing whether two authors who have never met before will suddenly start hitting each other with chairs!
Our life is an exciting poem, and we hope you'll be able to come and read it. While this is officially a "Mira" event, I'll still sign my own books, and the store has them in stock. So that's pretty awesome.
Sleep is for the weak.
Our life is an exciting poem, and we hope you'll be able to come and read it. While this is officially a "Mira" event, I'll still sign my own books, and the store has them in stock. So that's pretty awesome.
Sleep is for the weak.
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Rogue Wave, "Everyday."
Sorry for the delay! The random number generator has spoken, and the winner of days eight and nine are...
A paperback copy of Symbiont to...
vincentursus
Wicked Girls on CD to...codevixen
Please contact me via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours to provide your mailing information. All information must be received via my website to be considered valid. If I do not hear from you within twenty-four hours, you will no longer be eligible to receive your prize.
Five more drawings to go!
A paperback copy of Symbiont to...
vincentursusWicked Girls on CD to...
codevixenPlease contact me via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours to provide your mailing information. All information must be received via my website to be considered valid. If I do not hear from you within twenty-four hours, you will no longer be eligible to receive your prize.
Five more drawings to go!
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Nick Cave, "Lovely Creature."
...a paperback copy of Symbiont!
Welcome to the eighth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 25th (some other winter holiday). Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 29th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, still mailing shirts).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of the UK edition of Symbiont, which came out across the pond in paperback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because that's working well so far. Because this would cost more to mail outside the United States than the value of the book, this drawing is open to US residents only.
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. Indicate that you are in the US or have a US mailing address.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, December 23rd.
Game on!
Welcome to the eighth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I will be starting a new giveaway every day between now and December 25th (some other winter holiday). Each giveaway will have different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on December 29th, because I am bad at going to the post office (and also, still mailing shirts).
The eighth giveaway is for a copy of the UK edition of Symbiont, which came out across the pond in paperback. This is going to be a random number drawing, because that's working well so far. Because this would cost more to mail outside the United States than the value of the book, this drawing is open to US residents only.
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. Indicate that you are in the US or have a US mailing address.
3. That's it.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, December 23rd.
Game on!
- Current Mood: awake
- Current Music:Solid Gold, "New Kanada."
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the December 2014 post, and the last post of the year.
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 bizarre 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 (Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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 (Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Pink, "Stupid Girls."
To celebrate the release of Symbiont, here. Have an open thread to discuss the book. Because nothing says "Thanksgiving" like "tapeworms." Judging by the comments I'm seeing, some of you have had time, and I'd really, really rather book discussion (sometimes including spoilers) didn't crop up on other posts.
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.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.
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 try not to bleed on the carpet.
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.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.
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 try not to bleed on the carpet.
- Current Mood: awake
- Current Music:Carbon Leaf, "Istanbul."
As of today, Symbiont is officially available from bookstores all over North America and the United Kingdom, and from import stores all over the world. It's been spotted in the wild from California to New York, with several points between also chiming in to let me know that they've got copies. Hooray!
Since it's release week, I figured it was time to once again answer the wonderful people asking how they can help. So here are a few dos and don'ts for making this book launch awesome.
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 next month, get it at my book release party. Whatever works for you. Brick-and-mortar store purchases are best, as they encourage reordering. If you've already bought the book, consider buying the book again during release week, 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 Barnes and Noble, the odds are 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 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 pressure 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 bio-medical science fiction. 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 things. 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 a new book on shelves and final edits due on A Red-Rose Chain, a lot of things are falling by the wayside. Like sleep.
If you're in the Bay Area, I hope to see you tonight at 7PM at Borderlands Books, where I will be reading, signing, and running a raffle for your enjoyment!
Whee!
Since it's release week, I figured it was time to once again answer the wonderful people asking how they can help. So here are a few dos and don'ts for making this book launch awesome.
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 next month, get it at my book release party. Whatever works for you. Brick-and-mortar store purchases are best, as they encourage reordering. If you've already bought the book, consider buying the book again during release week, 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 Barnes and Noble, the odds are 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 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 pressure 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 bio-medical science fiction. 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 things. 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 a new book on shelves and final edits due on A Red-Rose Chain, a lot of things are falling by the wayside. Like sleep.
If you're in the Bay Area, I hope to see you tonight at 7PM at Borderlands Books, where I will be reading, signing, and running a raffle for your enjoyment!
Whee!
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:Counting Crows, "Rain King (Party of the Second Part)."
I am extremely excited to remind you all that I-as-Mira Grant will be returning to San Francisco's own Borderlands Books on Tuesday, November 25th, to celebrate the release of Symbiont.
In this sequel to 2013's Parasite, everything that was bad already gets much, much worse, with the war between the humans and the tapeworms reaching a horrifying new peak. As a reminder, this is a trilogy now: I couldn't wrap everything up in just two volumes, and Chimera will be coming out in 2015. So while I really, really want you to buy this book and feed my cats, I can't promise to put a tidy bow on things just yet.
Actually, I can promise the exact opposite.
On a sideways but related note, Borderlands also has a limited number of copies of Harvest Season, the new anthology from the SF Squeecast. With cover art by the lovely Ursula Vernon, this book boasts three never before seen novellas, two short stories, and a poem. The copies in the store are also signed by all the authors, and the cover artist. So they're super-special, and way pretty, and make great gifts. (Because copies are so limited, they are not on the Biblio page: you need to contact the bookstore directly. Retail is $25 USD.)
I hope to see you next week!
In this sequel to 2013's Parasite, everything that was bad already gets much, much worse, with the war between the humans and the tapeworms reaching a horrifying new peak. As a reminder, this is a trilogy now: I couldn't wrap everything up in just two volumes, and Chimera will be coming out in 2015. So while I really, really want you to buy this book and feed my cats, I can't promise to put a tidy bow on things just yet.
Actually, I can promise the exact opposite.
On a sideways but related note, Borderlands also has a limited number of copies of Harvest Season, the new anthology from the SF Squeecast. With cover art by the lovely Ursula Vernon, this book boasts three never before seen novellas, two short stories, and a poem. The copies in the store are also signed by all the authors, and the cover artist. So they're super-special, and way pretty, and make great gifts. (Because copies are so limited, they are not on the Biblio page: you need to contact the bookstore directly. Retail is $25 USD.)
I hope to see you next week!
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:Stephen Trask, "The Origin of Love."
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the October 2014 post.
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 bizarre 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 (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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 (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Patty taking a shower.
I am pleased as punch to let you all know, if you didn't know already, that pre-orders for Rolling in the Deep are now open. This gorgeous hardcover Mira Grant novella has never appeared anywhere else, and introduces a whole new world of submarine terror. What if there were mermaids? What would they look like?
What would they eat?
The signed and numbered edition which is currently being offered is limited to 1,000 beautiful copies, and will make a fantastic Hogswatch gift. I'm so excited!
Now, to answer a few questions:
Will there be a cheaper edition?
I do not know, for I am not the publisher. Probably, going by the way they usually do things, but it's not my call. Please do not complain about the cost of the hardback. It's a gorgeous book, I understand that not everyone can afford it, and that's part of why it's set in a new world, not a pre-existing one.
Will there be an ebook edition?
The publisher has indicated that there will, but this is 100% of the information I have. Please direct any questions about timing or price to the publisher.
What would they eat?
The signed and numbered edition which is currently being offered is limited to 1,000 beautiful copies, and will make a fantastic Hogswatch gift. I'm so excited!
Now, to answer a few questions:
Will there be a cheaper edition?
I do not know, for I am not the publisher. Probably, going by the way they usually do things, but it's not my call. Please do not complain about the cost of the hardback. It's a gorgeous book, I understand that not everyone can afford it, and that's part of why it's set in a new world, not a pre-existing one.
Will there be an ebook edition?
The publisher has indicated that there will, but this is 100% of the information I have. Please direct any questions about timing or price to the publisher.
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Metric, "Help, I'm Alive."
I (as Mira Grant) was asking to put together a list of potential pandemics for Buzzfeed. I like anything that gives me an excuse to wallow in delicious virology, so...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/orbitbooks/10-e
Enjoy, and remember, medical science is more interested in keeping you alive than it is in cutting you up and reassembling you as a shambling horror.
Most of the time.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/orbitbooks/10-e
Enjoy, and remember, medical science is more interested in keeping you alive than it is in cutting you up and reassembling you as a shambling horror.
Most of the time.
- Current Mood:
quixotic - Current Music:Miranda Lambert, "Little Red Wagon."
It's review roundup time! The time where the points are made up and the prizes don't matter. Today's reviews are all blasts from the deep past, beginning with...
From 2012, Fangs For the Fantasy has posted a good, thorough review of An Artificial Night, and says, "Relatedly, Toby is a much stronger, more active participant in this book. She isn't being constantly injured and recovering (though she is injured) nor is she flailing around without seeming to know what to do next and letting events happen. She's more active, she’s leading the plot, she's directing the plot and she's resolving the plot very much on her terms." There's also some excellent, spot-on commentary about diversity in the cast as of this point in the series.
From 2011, SFFWorld has posted an excellent, if spoiler-heavy review of Deadline. Not recommended unless you've read Feed. The review says, "The Newsflesh Trilogy is turning into one of my favorite SF stories and one that is continuing to surprise me&mdsp;up until the very end of Deadline. This second installment raises the stakes considerably and brings new players into the game, while maintaining the blistering pace of Feed, its predecessor. I can’t say enough good things about this novel, which has made the concluding volume Blackout, quite possibly my most anticipated novel publishing in 2012." Yay!
From 2012, Cannonball Read has posted a review of Late Eclipses, and says, "While I’ve enjoyed the previous three October Daye books, and especially admired the world building, this is the first one I actually had trouble putting down." Neat!
Also from 2012, Cannonball Read has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and recommends you not start at this point in the series. I love this sort of recommendation.
Finally (for now), from 2012, Fangs For the Fantasy has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and says, "All in all, this book got so much right. The balance between emotion and plot, the pacing, the main character and the rich, amazing world that it not only continued a great series in the same line but took it a step higher as well. I loved this book and am eager to read the second one&mbspthis series is heartily recommended." I'm assuming "second" means "next." She also fairly called me out on "crazy" as shorthand in the early Toby books, and I've tried to unpack more about what's actually going on with fae biology and behavior because of critiques like this one.
You may have noticed that all these reviews are old, and that newer reviews are getting rare. There's a reason for that. Whether I'm more secure (I don't feel like I am), more exhausted (I do feel like I am), or whether more bloggers have just moved to Goodreads and Amazon, I don't pull as many review links as I used to. That may change when I finish clearing the backlog, or I may decide that this ship's time has sailed.
We shall see.
From 2012, Fangs For the Fantasy has posted a good, thorough review of An Artificial Night, and says, "Relatedly, Toby is a much stronger, more active participant in this book. She isn't being constantly injured and recovering (though she is injured) nor is she flailing around without seeming to know what to do next and letting events happen. She's more active, she’s leading the plot, she's directing the plot and she's resolving the plot very much on her terms." There's also some excellent, spot-on commentary about diversity in the cast as of this point in the series.
From 2011, SFFWorld has posted an excellent, if spoiler-heavy review of Deadline. Not recommended unless you've read Feed. The review says, "The Newsflesh Trilogy is turning into one of my favorite SF stories and one that is continuing to surprise me&mdsp;up until the very end of Deadline. This second installment raises the stakes considerably and brings new players into the game, while maintaining the blistering pace of Feed, its predecessor. I can’t say enough good things about this novel, which has made the concluding volume Blackout, quite possibly my most anticipated novel publishing in 2012." Yay!
From 2012, Cannonball Read has posted a review of Late Eclipses, and says, "While I’ve enjoyed the previous three October Daye books, and especially admired the world building, this is the first one I actually had trouble putting down." Neat!
Also from 2012, Cannonball Read has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and recommends you not start at this point in the series. I love this sort of recommendation.
Finally (for now), from 2012, Fangs For the Fantasy has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and says, "All in all, this book got so much right. The balance between emotion and plot, the pacing, the main character and the rich, amazing world that it not only continued a great series in the same line but took it a step higher as well. I loved this book and am eager to read the second one&mbspthis series is heartily recommended." I'm assuming "second" means "next." She also fairly called me out on "crazy" as shorthand in the early Toby books, and I've tried to unpack more about what's actually going on with fae biology and behavior because of critiques like this one.
You may have noticed that all these reviews are old, and that newer reviews are getting rare. There's a reason for that. Whether I'm more secure (I don't feel like I am), more exhausted (I do feel like I am), or whether more bloggers have just moved to Goodreads and Amazon, I don't pull as many review links as I used to. That may change when I finish clearing the backlog, or I may decide that this ship's time has sailed.
We shall see.
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Cat Faber, "One Salt Sea."
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the October 2014 post.
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 bizarre 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 (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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 (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain, Chimera, and Chaos Choreography are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood: awake
- Current Music:Patrick Wolf, "The Bachelor."
The paperback of Parasite by Mira Grant is out now in the North American territories, and I'm celebrating with a giveaway!
Because Parasite was originally released in paperback in the United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere, this giveaway is open only to American and Canadian readers. There will be additional giveaways for Symbiont once I have it (although due to cost of postage, I may do a hardcover giveaway in the US and a UK-edition paperback giveaway for elsewhere; I don't know yet).
To enter...
1. Comment on this post.
2. Include your country of origin.
3. If you are in Canada, please indicate your willingness to pay postage. I'm really sorry about this, I just can't afford it right now.
That's it. This is an RNG giveaway, and I am giving away five copies, because I need to make room for the incoming copies of Symbiont. All winners will be selected on Monday, October 20th, at 6:00pm PST.
Game on!
Because Parasite was originally released in paperback in the United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere, this giveaway is open only to American and Canadian readers. There will be additional giveaways for Symbiont once I have it (although due to cost of postage, I may do a hardcover giveaway in the US and a UK-edition paperback giveaway for elsewhere; I don't know yet).
To enter...
1. Comment on this post.
2. Include your country of origin.
3. If you are in Canada, please indicate your willingness to pay postage. I'm really sorry about this, I just can't afford it right now.
That's it. This is an RNG giveaway, and I am giving away five copies, because I need to make room for the incoming copies of Symbiont. All winners will be selected on Monday, October 20th, at 6:00pm PST.
Game on!
- Current Mood:
chipper - Current Music:Mad at Gravity, "Burn."
It's fifty days to the release of Symbiont, book two in the Parasitology trilogy. (Book three, Chimera, will follow in 2015.)
Parasite was my first hardcover, and my first non-Newsflesh work as Mira Grant. The reception it's received has been amazing, and I cannot wait for people to get their hands on the second book. Vixy says it's better than the first one. Trust Vixy. Fox girls never lie.
Fifty days. That isn't long at all.
It's long enough to be the world.
Parasite was my first hardcover, and my first non-Newsflesh work as Mira Grant. The reception it's received has been amazing, and I cannot wait for people to get their hands on the second book. Vixy says it's better than the first one. Trust Vixy. Fox girls never lie.
Fifty days. That isn't long at all.
It's long enough to be the world.
- Current Mood:
tired - Current Music:People milling around the lobby.
Every month I make a post to tell folks what I'm working on, a) because it seems polite, b) because it keeps me accountable, if only to myself, and c) so you will understand why I do not have a social life. This is the September 2014 post.
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 bizarre 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." I missed the August post, because I was in Ireland at the time, but we're back to normal now.
Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain and Chimera are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
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 bizarre 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." I missed the August post, because I was in Ireland at the time, but we're back to normal now.
Please note that all books currently in print are off the list, as are those that have been turned in but not yet printed (Symbiont and Pocket Apocalypse). A Red-Rose Chain and Chimera are off the list because they're finished and in revisions with the Machete Squad. 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. If you can't remember whether I've announced something, check the relevant tag, or go to my website, at www.seananmcguire.com. Please do not ask why project X is no longer on the list. I will not answer you.
( What's Seanan working on now? Click to find out!Collapse )
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Voltaire, "Wall of Pride."
Let us begin with the deep past, as I try vainly to reclaim my link file before I leave for Europe (I did mention I was leaving for Europe, right?). The Quiet Voice has reviewed Feed, and says, "Feed fractured my heart, and then broke it—so, of course, it deserves to be my first five-star book of 2012. It is definitely not your typical zombie story with sleazy action sequences and creepy cliches, but a wonderful mix of zombies, blogging, and politics." See how behind I am? I am so behind.
Geek Girls Rule has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "There’s lots to love in this book. Like her October Daye Books, she includes lots of background information on the critters inhabiting her world, without it ever feeling forced. She includes wit and humor amongst even the darkest scenes. Her characters are always well-rounded and believable, even the most unbelievable or unreal. When a character changes their mind, it feels like a natural decision or outgrowth of what’s gone on, not at all out of character or forced." Hooray!
Apocalyptic Movies has posted a review of Feed, and says, "Which brings me to media-spread panic and the reason why Feed isn't only a great read, but an important eye-opener for the folks out there who don't spend a lot of time questioning the things they are told. Feed is, in the end, a book about the power of information—and disinformation—and its message is as relevant to us, today, as it could ever be in a world full of zombies." I love it when people get what I was going for.
Seduced By a Book has posted a review of Feed, and says, "I found Feed engaging, thought provoking, dramatic, and emotionally moving. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy and find yourself a cozy little spot to read this one. Once you get into the story you're not going to want to put it down." Rockin'.
Finally for this look at the ancient days, Owlcat Mountain has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "So what does all of this add up to? Fun. Lots and lots of fun. Great characters, great plot, great backstory. I can't wait for the next one. I wonder if the author can be bribed with chocolate to write faster." Alas, I can write faster, but I can't speed up the publishing industry!
That's all for today. I know this is one of the random administrative things I do here, and I appreciate your patience as we move into a brave new world of this damn thing fitting entirely on one page.
Excelsior!
Geek Girls Rule has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "There’s lots to love in this book. Like her October Daye Books, she includes lots of background information on the critters inhabiting her world, without it ever feeling forced. She includes wit and humor amongst even the darkest scenes. Her characters are always well-rounded and believable, even the most unbelievable or unreal. When a character changes their mind, it feels like a natural decision or outgrowth of what’s gone on, not at all out of character or forced." Hooray!
Apocalyptic Movies has posted a review of Feed, and says, "Which brings me to media-spread panic and the reason why Feed isn't only a great read, but an important eye-opener for the folks out there who don't spend a lot of time questioning the things they are told. Feed is, in the end, a book about the power of information—and disinformation—and its message is as relevant to us, today, as it could ever be in a world full of zombies." I love it when people get what I was going for.
Seduced By a Book has posted a review of Feed, and says, "I found Feed engaging, thought provoking, dramatic, and emotionally moving. Make sure to have a box of tissues handy and find yourself a cozy little spot to read this one. Once you get into the story you're not going to want to put it down." Rockin'.
Finally for this look at the ancient days, Owlcat Mountain has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "So what does all of this add up to? Fun. Lots and lots of fun. Great characters, great plot, great backstory. I can't wait for the next one. I wonder if the author can be bribed with chocolate to write faster." Alas, I can write faster, but I can't speed up the publishing industry!
That's all for today. I know this is one of the random administrative things I do here, and I appreciate your patience as we move into a brave new world of this damn thing fitting entirely on one page.
Excelsior!
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Glee, "Outcast."
It's almost time for the San Diego International Comic Convention, and you know what that means: I am busier than a chicken with a field full of caterpillars to devour, and it's time for me to tell you where to find me. Since otherwise, well...it does not bear thinking of.
Wednesday.
Preview night begins with a bang, and I'll be there the whole time! I am going to be in a wheelchair again, for the duration of this convention, because otherwise I won't survive. I'll have some fun prizes for the first few people to find me during the con. I also have a request: namely, I did not successfully get this year's Monster High two-pack during the pre-sale, and I am not going to be terribly mobile (see again, wheelchair).
If you find yourself in the Mattel line, and if you feel like picking up a two-pack (or two, since I like to unbox one and keep one mint-in-box) for me, I will gladly pay you back. Note that I am making this request because I don't want to pay scalper prices: I'm happy to negotiate some signed books, or mailing you some CDs after the con, but I really am hoping to find a kind soul who's already going through the line and will grab them for me at cost. Don't worry about being Kind Soul #2: I will totally buy as many two-packs as people bring me, because I have nieces and friends who collect.
Bring on...
Thursday.
Orbit booth signing, 11:00am. I/Mira Grant will be signing at the Orbit booth at 11:00am! I don't know what they'll be giving away vs. what they'll be selling, but I will also sign books you bring with you. Big fun!
When Magic & Myth Meet Main Street, 3:00pm. Join me, Amber Benson, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey, Thomas Sniegoski, and Greg van Eekhout as we discuss urban fantasy and why it's AWESOME. Room 25ABC, to be followed by a signing in the Autographing Area.
Friday.
Penguin booth signing, 11:00am. I'll be signing at the Penguin Booth, along with some other awesome authors, and you should totally come. There may be cool surprises...
Saturday.
The Art of Fear, 2:30pm. It's time to get creepy. Join me, G. Michael Hopf, Katherine Howe, April Genevieve Tucholke, Brenna Yovanoff, and James Rollins as we talk about what scares us, and what should scare you. Room 8, to be followed by a signing in the Autographing Area.
California Browncoats booth signing, 11:00am. One last signing to finish out the weekend and make everybody's morning a little more terrifying.
Mind you, all this assumes that we're going to survive the Rising; events may be canceled at any time as zombies eat us all.
Even as a zombie, I will still want those dolls.
Wednesday.
Preview night begins with a bang, and I'll be there the whole time! I am going to be in a wheelchair again, for the duration of this convention, because otherwise I won't survive. I'll have some fun prizes for the first few people to find me during the con. I also have a request: namely, I did not successfully get this year's Monster High two-pack during the pre-sale, and I am not going to be terribly mobile (see again, wheelchair).
If you find yourself in the Mattel line, and if you feel like picking up a two-pack (or two, since I like to unbox one and keep one mint-in-box) for me, I will gladly pay you back. Note that I am making this request because I don't want to pay scalper prices: I'm happy to negotiate some signed books, or mailing you some CDs after the con, but I really am hoping to find a kind soul who's already going through the line and will grab them for me at cost. Don't worry about being Kind Soul #2: I will totally buy as many two-packs as people bring me, because I have nieces and friends who collect.
Bring on...
Thursday.
Orbit booth signing, 11:00am. I/Mira Grant will be signing at the Orbit booth at 11:00am! I don't know what they'll be giving away vs. what they'll be selling, but I will also sign books you bring with you. Big fun!
When Magic & Myth Meet Main Street, 3:00pm. Join me, Amber Benson, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey, Thomas Sniegoski, and Greg van Eekhout as we discuss urban fantasy and why it's AWESOME. Room 25ABC, to be followed by a signing in the Autographing Area.
Friday.
Penguin booth signing, 11:00am. I'll be signing at the Penguin Booth, along with some other awesome authors, and you should totally come. There may be cool surprises...
Saturday.
The Art of Fear, 2:30pm. It's time to get creepy. Join me, G. Michael Hopf, Katherine Howe, April Genevieve Tucholke, Brenna Yovanoff, and James Rollins as we talk about what scares us, and what should scare you. Room 8, to be followed by a signing in the Autographing Area.
California Browncoats booth signing, 11:00am. One last signing to finish out the weekend and make everybody's morning a little more terrifying.
Mind you, all this assumes that we're going to survive the Rising; events may be canceled at any time as zombies eat us all.
Even as a zombie, I will still want those dolls.
- Current Mood: busy
- Current Music:Nightmare Before Christmas, "Sally's Song."
The Rising only lasted for three years. The repercussions will last forever. For Elaine Oldenburg, those repercussions are about to change everything.
"The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell" is available now from most ebook outlets. This Newsflesh-universe story fills in a piece of the past that has previously been left hidden, for good reason. Join Elaine as she tries to get her students out of an outbreak alive, and without casualties. (Try not to read the blurb on the landing page, as it's way spoilery.)
She's not going to save them all.
I'm really excited about this one. It's a story I've wanted to tell for quite some time, and it pulls no punches, which is always nice for me, since I fancy myself a horror author. Better yet, it will prepare you for what's to come. (It will also help feed my cats. As always, a major concern.)
This will also serve as your discussion post.
Zombies!
"The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell" is available now from most ebook outlets. This Newsflesh-universe story fills in a piece of the past that has previously been left hidden, for good reason. Join Elaine as she tries to get her students out of an outbreak alive, and without casualties. (Try not to read the blurb on the landing page, as it's way spoilery.)
She's not going to save them all.
I'm really excited about this one. It's a story I've wanted to tell for quite some time, and it pulls no punches, which is always nice for me, since I fancy myself a horror author. Better yet, it will prepare you for what's to come. (It will also help feed my cats. As always, a major concern.)
This will also serve as your discussion post.
Zombies!
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Gary Jules, "Mad World."
I am pleased to confirm that my novella (as Mira Grant) "The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell," will be available for purchase on July 15th, 2014. So you can get ready for the Rising in style, with this all-new adventure in the world of Newsflesh.
Purchase details are here. Because Amazon is still not playing nicely with Hachette, there is no pre-order button on the Amazon website, which means the story is not at this time available for Kindle. I honestly don't know if that's going to change: I wish I did, I assume it is, but I cannot confirm. Also, I recommend against reading the summary, as it reveals some of the surprises the novella might otherwise contain for you.
I am so excited to finally tell this story. It's been lurking for a long time, and it's time the truth of what happened at Evergreen Elementary finally comes out. (This is a zombie story set in an elementary school. So, uh, yeah.)
When will you rise?
Purchase details are here. Because Amazon is still not playing nicely with Hachette, there is no pre-order button on the Amazon website, which means the story is not at this time available for Kindle. I honestly don't know if that's going to change: I wish I did, I assume it is, but I cannot confirm. Also, I recommend against reading the summary, as it reveals some of the surprises the novella might otherwise contain for you.
I am so excited to finally tell this story. It's been lurking for a long time, and it's time the truth of what happened at Evergreen Elementary finally comes out. (This is a zombie story set in an elementary school. So, uh, yeah.)
When will you rise?
- Current Mood: accomplished
- Current Music:Pink, "So What."
So a press release just went up on the Orbit Books website. Here's the link, if you're curious. Go ahead and read it. I'll wait here.
Done reading yet?
YES OH MY GOD YES NOW I CAN FINALLY ANNOUNCE IT YES!!!!! Mira Grant (IE, "me") is returning to Orbit for three more beautiful books. The third Parasitology book (title to be determined), a standalone book (one of three concepts, to be decided when I actually hit the point of needing to write it), and Rewind, a fourth book set in the world of Newsflesh.
Yes. We're going back to the Rising.
There will also be four new novellas set in the Newsflesh world; the first of them, "The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell," will be out this summer.
Before people start asking, no, Rewind will not be a story about the Masons: they are done. But it will cover the same time period as Feed, and will provide a long-needed view of the Democratic side of the presidential race. What really happened to Susan Kilburn and Frances Blackburn, the two most promising candidates put up by the Democrats? What happened to their teams? All is finally going to be made clear, and man, is it going to be one hell of a ride.
To quote myself from the press release, "I am overjoyed to be able to continue to write in the Parasite universe, and more, I am so, so excited to return to the world of Kellis-Amberlee, the Rising, and my unique approach to future journalism. I hope that everyone else will be as excited as I am to go back there, and I promise I have some thrilling surprises in store for you. As for that stand-alone third novel, well...You'll have to wait and see what that's going to be about. I can tell you one thing for sure: it's going to be an adventure."
I love adventures.
Done reading yet?
YES OH MY GOD YES NOW I CAN FINALLY ANNOUNCE IT YES!!!!! Mira Grant (IE, "me") is returning to Orbit for three more beautiful books. The third Parasitology book (title to be determined), a standalone book (one of three concepts, to be decided when I actually hit the point of needing to write it), and Rewind, a fourth book set in the world of Newsflesh.
Yes. We're going back to the Rising.
There will also be four new novellas set in the Newsflesh world; the first of them, "The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell," will be out this summer.
Before people start asking, no, Rewind will not be a story about the Masons: they are done. But it will cover the same time period as Feed, and will provide a long-needed view of the Democratic side of the presidential race. What really happened to Susan Kilburn and Frances Blackburn, the two most promising candidates put up by the Democrats? What happened to their teams? All is finally going to be made clear, and man, is it going to be one hell of a ride.
To quote myself from the press release, "I am overjoyed to be able to continue to write in the Parasite universe, and more, I am so, so excited to return to the world of Kellis-Amberlee, the Rising, and my unique approach to future journalism. I hope that everyone else will be as excited as I am to go back there, and I promise I have some thrilling surprises in store for you. As for that stand-alone third novel, well...You'll have to wait and see what that's going to be about. I can tell you one thing for sure: it's going to be an adventure."
I love adventures.
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:Syntax, "Persian Rose."
(I realized I hadn't actually said this here yet. Or anywhere. Bad me. So...)
I love mermaids.
I have always loved mermaids. My one point of contention with Ariel was always that I couldn't understand how someone who came from her undersea world could yearn so much for gravity and oxygen and all the rest. If someone offered me a role in a mermaid AU of my life, I would take it in a heartbeat, is what I'm saying here.
Naturally, this has translated to a lot of mermaids in my work. Dianda, in Toby; the finfolk, in InCryptid. Mermaids everywhere, mermaids for everybody. But a lot of people assumed that Mira Grant would never have the opportunity to write about mermaids, which are more of a fantasy staple, after all.
Oh ye of little faith.
I am delighted to announce that my/Mira's first original Subterranean Press novella, "Rolling in the Deep," will be released next April. It's about mermaids. It's about science. It's about reality television. But mostly the mermaids thing.
As with all SubT books, it will be a limited edition, so I recommend saving your pennies now for its terrible, inevitable reality.
I am so excited.
I love mermaids.
I have always loved mermaids. My one point of contention with Ariel was always that I couldn't understand how someone who came from her undersea world could yearn so much for gravity and oxygen and all the rest. If someone offered me a role in a mermaid AU of my life, I would take it in a heartbeat, is what I'm saying here.
Naturally, this has translated to a lot of mermaids in my work. Dianda, in Toby; the finfolk, in InCryptid. Mermaids everywhere, mermaids for everybody. But a lot of people assumed that Mira Grant would never have the opportunity to write about mermaids, which are more of a fantasy staple, after all.
Oh ye of little faith.
I am delighted to announce that my/Mira's first original Subterranean Press novella, "Rolling in the Deep," will be released next April. It's about mermaids. It's about science. It's about reality television. But mostly the mermaids thing.
As with all SubT books, it will be a limited edition, so I recommend saving your pennies now for its terrible, inevitable reality.
I am so excited.
- Current Mood: ecstatic
- Current Music:Hercules, "Go the Distance."
Who wants to see the cover for the new Mira Grant book, Symbiont, coming this fall to a bookstore near you?
Click, and be amazed...
( Your health is too important to trust to just anyone. Choose wisely. Choose SymboGen.Collapse )
Click, and be amazed...
( Your health is too important to trust to just anyone. Choose wisely. Choose SymboGen.Collapse )
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:Carrie, "Prom Arrival."
Con or Bust is a project of the Carl Brandon society, which is, to quote their website, "a 501c3 not-for-profit organization whose mission is to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the production of and audience for speculative fiction." To help this mission happen, Kate Nepveu administers the Con or Bust auctions, which help fans of color get to conventions. It's an awesome cause, and it delights me.
This year, Orbit and I have donated two signed sets of the Newsflesh series to the auction. They're being mailed by my publisher, so will not be personalized...but they're being mailed by my publisher, which means there's no chance the mail sack gets forgotten next to the front door for three weeks when there's a new Pokemon release. Everybody wins!
Especially our community. Because what Con or Bust does is make our community better by making it more awesome.
So take a look, and check out the rest of the offerings while you're there.
This year, Orbit and I have donated two signed sets of the Newsflesh series to the auction. They're being mailed by my publisher, so will not be personalized...but they're being mailed by my publisher, which means there's no chance the mail sack gets forgotten next to the front door for three weeks when there's a new Pokemon release. Everybody wins!
Especially our community. Because what Con or Bust does is make our community better by making it more awesome.
So take a look, and check out the rest of the offerings while you're there.
- Current Mood: excited
- Current Music:Pentatonix, "Radioactive."
...a copy of Parasite, by Mira Grant (UK edition).
So Disneyland was a little more exhausting than anticipated, and the eleventh and twelfth days of Hogswatch got pushed back a bit. I'm sorry about that. This is the posting for the eleventh of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The eleventh giveaway is for a copy of the UK edition of Parasite. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Wednesday, January 8th. I know that's super-tight, but I need to do the mailing.
Game on!
So Disneyland was a little more exhausting than anticipated, and the eleventh and twelfth days of Hogswatch got pushed back a bit. I'm sorry about that. This is the posting for the eleventh of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The eleventh giveaway is for a copy of the UK edition of Parasite. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Wednesday, January 8th. I know that's super-tight, but I need to do the mailing.
Game on!
- Current Mood:harried
- Current Music:Fountains of Wayne, "Peace and Love."
...a copy of Blackout, by Mira Grant (US edition).
Welcome to the tenth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I am starting a new giveaway every day between now and my birthday. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The tenth giveaway is for a copy of Blackout. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, January 7th.
Game on!
Welcome to the tenth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I am starting a new giveaway every day between now and my birthday. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The tenth giveaway is for a copy of Blackout. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, January 7th.
Game on!
- Current Mood: exhausted
- Current Music:Doc and Vixy and the tiredness.
...a copy of Deadline, by Mira Grant (US edition).
Welcome to the eighth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I am starting a new giveaway every day between now and my birthday. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The ninth giveaway is for a copy of Deadline. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, January 7th.
Game on!
Welcome to the eighth of the Twelve Days of Hogswatch. I am starting a new giveaway every day between now and my birthday. Each giveaway has different rules, and a different deadline, although all prizes will be mailed on January 9th, because I am bad at going to the post office.
The ninth giveaway is for a copy of Deadline. This is going to be a random number drawing. So...
1. To enter, comment on this post.
2. If you are international, indicate a willingness to pay postage.
3. That's it.
Please remember that all giveaway rules are non-negotiable. Failure to follow the rules of a giveaway will mean that you cannot win, even if the RNG picks you.
I will choose the winner at 1PM PST on Tuesday, January 7th.
Game on!
- Current Mood:
sleepy - Current Music:Counting Crows, "Rain King (Raining in Baltimore)."
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