Reviews! Interviews! All the 'views!

I did an interview with Drey's Library about a million years ago (as in, "talks about Ashes of Honor as the upcoming Toby book"), and now you can read it, because I finally remembered to link things. Sometimes I am slow.

The Discriminating Fangirl chose some of my books as their Best of 2011! I am honored and...yeah, really, really slow. I am almost ashamed of this roundup. Holy crap.

Larissa's Life has posted a review of One Salt Sea. No good pull quotes, some minor spoilers, overall awesome review. Thanks, Larissa!

One Good Book has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and says "I can't say that this book was my favorite in the series, but it had many more moments that thrilled me than didn't, and it tied up a few loose ends that I felt had been dangling too long. It was a fully entertaining read that left me highly anticipating the next installment." Fair enough!

Boat Girl has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and says "For me, it was a really satisfying book in that it tied up some long dangling loose ends." Yay! I really do view One Salt Sea as the end of Act I, and it's nice that people see it that way.

So, yeah. I am trying to catch up on my roundups, because the age of these links is just embarrassing. But the links themselves are awesome. Thanks to all the reviewers I've linked, and those I've missed (or haven't gotten to yet).

I hope the month has treated everyone well, and even more, I hope the week has treated you wonderfully. We're sliding into fall, the month of my heart, and October is going to be just amazing this year. You'll see.

As always, I am fighting against my links, and losing; because of this, I need to burn a few of them off. Don't worry, they make a lovely light.

First up, Lesley Smith (who still likes me, even though I killed her in "San Diego 2014") interviewed me for Amazing Stories. It's a very honest interview, which means that some parts of it are sad and some are not, and some are just me being faintly confused. Check it out!

I also did a "ask Seanan anything" interview over at Worlds Without End, and had a lot of fun answering their questions. It's silly and strange and includes some stuff about why I don't say things.

We're kind of on a roll with the interviews, so here: here is me talking to the nice folks at Omnivoracious about lots of things, including a picture of the exact moment when I realized that the cover of Parasite mirrors the colors used to signify "this shit here belongs to the Umbrella Corporation" and was overcome with geeky joy.

...and you know, that's only three items, but it seems like a good place to stop, because this is more of an "interview roundup" than a "review roundup," and that's okay.

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm doing an AMA (Ask Me Anything) tonight on Reddit. The link is here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1aqoy0/hello_im_seanan_mcguire_i_write_urban_fantasy_and/

We're taking questions throughout the day, and then I'll be answering them at 7PM CST tonight. Please swing by and contribute some witty, insightful, interesting questions. Or, you know, ask me about the X-Men. Whatever makes you happy.

See you tonight!

This is one of those days that calls to mind the opening line of Clive Barker's classic The Thief of Time: "The great gray beast February had eaten Harvey Swick alive." February is a monster, and we're all being digested. In an effort to slow the process, here are a few interesting things from my link file.

Susan, who is splendid, and who makes amazing hand-crafted leather goods, is making leather wrist straps with the Ashes of Honor ding bat on them (with my permission, naturally). That's not all she has to offer (my cats love her catnip toys, for example). Check her out!

Here are some rejected warning signs for you. I basically want to put these all around my house, especially "Annnnnnnnd...you're infected." That, and "We Apologize For What is About to Occur," which may eventually be the title of one of my books.

Publishers Weekly did a profile on me and it's pretty much amazing. I'm just saying.

Also I went on the SF Signal Podcast and spent like, an hour talking about television and how the Syfy Channel Saturday night movies have lost their integrity. You can listen to the whole thing here. Warning: It turns out I swear a lot. Who knew?

In other news, I really need to do a couple of mega review round-ups; my link file is currently threatening to eat my soul in the night, and that would be bad.

Happy Wednesday!

I'm still sick (but getting better), and so, in order to keep myself from dwelling on the frailty of the flesh, here is a review roundup. Yay.

Yeti Stomper has put me on notice with great aplomb. I am honored and afraid. And also amused.

Broad Universe has posted a review of Late Eclipses, and says, "This is an exciting book for fans of Seanan McGuire and the October Daye series. It hints at so much more to come and I can't wait to find out what's next." There's an interview with me attached to the review. Bonus!

The Word Zombie has posted a review of Deadline, and says, "With Feed, Mira Grant established herself as a major new voice in zombie fiction. With Deadline, she proves that 'zombie' is a superfluous addition to that accolade. Without the subtlety of her storytelling, the layers of conspiracy at the heart of this book would have ripped apart like so many sheets of rice paper. Instead, she parceled out the story with the literary timing of Stephen King at his best, while managing to do what King has suffered with so much in recent years—tying the story together in the end and leaving the reader with an emotional punch akin to being hit in the chest with a Taser." ...wow.

Apex has posted a review of One Salt Sea, and says, "This seamless expansion of the fae world in and around the story being told is one of my favorite things about McGuire's writings. She is a master at informing the reader without the dreaded info dump. One Salt Sea is a worthy addition to the marvelous October Daye series and one I will happily reread again." There's also an interview after the review. Yay!

Rie has posted a review of Rosemary and Rue, and says, "I really enjoyed Rosemary and Rue, though it took me a bit to get a handle on the new style after reading some of Seanan's other work first. It was an entirely new pacing and flow, and the switch was not an automatic one. I don't want to imply that the plot is slow moving—it isn't, it's a rich, complex plot that has an appropriate pace for its style and genre—it just wasn't as non-stop action as Mira's Feed." Since this is something I worry about a lot, this is reassuring to hear.

...and that is all for today. I'm tired, and need a nap.

I have been doing stuff! On the internet! With people!

Have you ever wondered whether I had guilty pleasures? Well, I don't actually believe in being guilty about the things that bring me joy, but that didn't stop me from appearing on My Countless Lives to talk about my not-so-guilty pleasures. Looking at this list, I believe I can say, without reservations, that I'm a little weird. But I'm also super-fun to go to Disneyland with, so it all balances out.

Orbit asked me to write a thing about fictional politicians. So I wrote a thing about fictional politicians. Being as I am me, it's a pretty eclectic list. I kept it short by leaving off people who inherited their titles and became kick-ass royals, because yes, Neo-Queen Serenity is awesome, but that would have been the point at which things got completely out of control.

Oh, hey, I did an interview (as Mira Grant) for the Examiner. So that's a thing and you should totally read it.

Oh! Also! I did a sort of micro-interview with Romantic Times, also as Mira Grant. Not many questions, but the ones they asked were fun, so that works out.

Also, this one time, at band camp, I interviewed Mira Grant, and things quickly got really weird. So that's a thing which I have done on the internet.

And those are things and stuff what I have done on the internet.

Doobie-doo.

Or the blogging, or the Facebooking, and let's be honest, why would you want to? Except that, if you're me, your link file might try to kill you in your sleep. IN YOUR SLEEP. So here are some reviews, in an effort to make that file a little less robust and murder-y.

Over at SF Signal, Carrie Cuinn has posted a review of Ashes of Honor, and says, "These books are like watching half a season of your favorite television series all at once. Because the author's conversational writing style doesn't make you work too hard to get into the novel, you can easily sit down at the start of an evening and get to the end before bedtime. More than anything else, though, it's the fun of it all that's kept me returning to McGuire's books, and to this series, long after I've stopped reading other mainstream titles. Right now, she's the only urban fantasy writer whose books I will pick up as soon as they're available, and Ashes of Honor proves that I'm right to keeping doing it." Dude, awesome.

Sigrid Ellis has posted a review of Ashes of Honor, and says, "I really, truly, love these books." (Really, you should read her whole review, which is lovely. It just doesn't lend itself to long pull quotes.)

Stochastic has posted a guest review of Ashes of Honor at On Starships and Dragonwings, and says, "You can gauge an author's skill by just how tightly they can paint their protagonists into corners, while still leaving unexpected and often totally insane escapes, and by this measure, Seanan McGuire is a fantastic author." Win!

Fantasy Book Cafe has posted a review of Ashes of Honor, and says, "Ashes of Honor is yet another exciting, funny, and emotional installment in the October Daye series. It further develops the world and characters while maintaining the right balance between a fast-paced story and character development. Furthermore, it makes Toby deal with tough issues without making these tough issues a stumbling block for story progression. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book." Rockin'.

Tome Tender has posted a review of Ashes of Honor, and says, "Love this book, I literally did not want to put it down! Toby seemed to take front stage while her supporting characters all played a vital roles and kept this brilliant story flowing. The witty banter and perfect amount of humor added the extra kick to make this story extraordinary." Yay!

And finally, for today, I'm just going to set this fun interview about my urban fantasy work down over here, where you can pick it up if you want to. It's worth reading.

And that's a roundup.

So very tired cat is so very tired. Tired enough that the effort of packing a suitcase for a trip to New York seems to be unendurable. Consequentially, I am updating my blog, because I can generally manage that...but I am too tired to say anything useful. So here. Have a Discount Armageddon review roundup.

Book Devourer has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "Discount Armageddon was something kind of like an impulse buy, but I’m so pleased to have bought it. It was enjoyable and entertaining with interesting characters and fast pacing that just keeps you glued to the book for hours on end. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next books in this series!" Awesome.

Dark Faerie Tales interviewed me about Discount Armageddon, and we had a lot of fun. Check it out.

janicu has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "A refreshing urban fantasy that does not take itself too seriously. Discount Armageddon is full of fun and humor, but is balanced with just the right amount of grit. I thoroughly enjoyed Verity's dynamo presence and her enthusiasm for being in the Now. She's a kick-ass UF heroine who isn't angry or angsty, doesn't have a painful past, and comes with a supportive family. I recommend this one for urban fantasy fans that are looking for something that approaches the genre from a different angle." What a great summation!

One Good Book Deserves Another has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "I loved this book. It's original, funny, creative, and while there's room for more complexity in the plot and more detail for the secondary characters, Verity herself was highly enjoyable and carried the book well. I'd love to meet her sister, though." Oh, don't worry. You will. Heh heh heh.

Impressions of a Reader has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "Discount Armageddon is fun and refreshing, full of wonderful characters, and I love this world. I can't wait to meet Alex and Antimony, or to find out what the heck is up with Dominic. And of course, Hail Verity!" I love how much everyone wants to meet her siblings.

Finally for right now, calico_reaction has posted a review of Discount Armageddon, and says, "This is just a wonderfully fun book to read, and rather utterly different that McGuire’s other work, namely her October Daye series and NewsFlesh series, with one exception: as always, the world-building is utterly full and vivid. But where the InCryptid series deviates so far is the humor, and this book had me giggling and entertained the entire time I read it. There’s a lot of crazy ingredients to the story, and some might mix well better than others, depending on the reader, but if you’re looking for a fun, creative story, look no further."

On that note, we wrap for now.

Goodnight, moon.

Now is the time on Sprockets where we continue trying to murder the link file, in part because the remains of this cold have left me cotton-headed and glassy-eyed. Now is not the time for deep thoughts. Now is the time for links and listlessness. And so...

Look! It's the Salon Futura interview I recorded immediately after winning the Campbell! Just in case you were starting to think I was exaggerating about the size of this file. Sniff. I miss my tiara...

And here's another interview, this time with Fantasy Faction. There were some interesting capitalization and punctuation choices made in the transcription of this interview. Read it, and marvel!

The Guilded Earlobe did seven questions with Mira Grant. Thrill as I defend zombies as being for everybody, not just for the boys, and explain why I should have a tank. You think I should have a tank, don't you?

The wonderful Kenda at Lurv ala Mode had me stop by to explain a bit about surviving Faerie; I may eventually use this format again, because it was disturbingly fun. Seriously. Best guest post ever.

Oh, right, I promised you some reviews. Here's Fantasy Faction's review of Feed, which says, "To be blunt, I find Feed to be one of the best novels about zombies that I have ever read." Moving on! To...

The Fantasy Faction review of Deadline, which says, "I don't think that Grant should have done anything differently with Deadline. This book was amazing, and an excellent continuation of the Newsflesh trilogy. I know that I will be reading this book, and Feed, again before Blackout releases next year. Probably a few times, if I'm to be honest. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the story, but at the same time I'm so sad for it to come to an end."

I am, too.

And that ends this roundup.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love doing interviews. It's a really fun, awesome way to interact with people, and sound a little bit less like either a chipmunk on a sugar high or a formal press release (two of my default settings). A good interview is an amazing thing, and even a bad interview is darkly comic, like a barn owl flying into a plate glass window. (Funny for me. Not necessarily so much funny for the owl.) So without further ado, some interviews.

The first, and most recent, is this interview for Fantasy Magazine, conducted by Paul Goat Allen. Paul asked amazing questions, and called me "a force of nature," which is always the way to endear yourself to me. He also seemed fairly sure that I am actually an artist commune. Silly Paul. Hive intelligences from beyond the solar system don't need communes...

Our second interview was actually conducted at SDCC, by the lovely Linda, for Muse Led. She came up to my hotel room while we were all unpacking, and asked lots of fun questions (when we weren't talking about our cats, which happened a lot). She was very sweet, and I had a lovely time. In-person interviews are always exciting.

I was supposed to do an interview with Teen Skepchick during Convergence, but we couldn't get our act together. Luckily for everyone involved, email exists, and we were able to finish the interview anyway. Lots of super-fun questions, most aimed at the interests of teen readers (which I really appreciate).

Finally for now, Jeff Vandermeer interviewed both me and A. Lee Martinez (author of Gil's All-Fright Diner!), which was totally cool. You can click through to his interview from this post...where you can also read a small sample of Ashes of Honor.

Happy Monday!

Must. Post. Reviews. Must. Not. Drown in links. So here:

Man in Black Reviews has posted a fabulous review of Deadline, and says, "I commented that the Newsflesh trilogy opening was one of the better novels I have read in several years, that it had nowhere up left to go, and that the second novel, Deadline, would have no choice but to go down. I come here today to eat those words, because Deadline goes anywhere but down hill." Woo!

Blogcritics has also posted a lovely review of Deadline, and says, "Grant takes the political intrigue of Feed and ratchets it up to 11 to a stunning conclusion in Deadline. And we can only hope that the next book of the trilogy—Blackout—serves to answer some of the questions asked in the first two books. The only bad part is we have to wait a while for those answers when Blackout is released in May 2012. I'm not sure I can wait another year!!" Neither am I!

Everything's better with Feed, right? Well, Alysha De Shae has posted a lovely review of Feed. There are no real pull quotes this time, but it's a good, solid review, and I appreciated it.

Our friends at Geek Speak Magazine have posted an awesome review of Feed, and say, "I’ve lost count of how many people I have recommended this book to, and/or bought this book for. Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? Maybe more. It is just one of those rare books you start to read and then just cannot stop, no matter what else is happening in your life that demands your immediate attention. You. Cannot. Stop. And then, when you come to the end of it, you’re all like HOLY FUCK, did that just really happen? That was INCREDIBLE!" Also: "There is not a zombie story anywhere that compares to Feed. For mine, it is the single best genre book of last year, bar none."

Sniffle.

I can't top that review right now, and so I won't even try. Here. Go listen to me hanging out on the Orbit podcast, instead.

More soon.

I am officially too tired to brain. Wait, no; that's not entirely true. I am too scatter-pants to brain. I need more sleep, but I'm also trying to think about like twenty things at the same time, which doesn't help with the braining. Someone come over and give me a booster shot of single-mindedness, because I am out.

Anyway, here, have some interviews I've done recently, because they're fun.

Ramblings of a Teenage Novelist is a relatively new blog, and demonstrated "if you don't ask, you don't get" by requesting an interview about the Mira Grant books. I was glad to oblige, and some awesome questions got asked! Check it out.

Remember the whole thing with Feed being up for a Shirley Jackson Award and me being basically dead of amazed? Well, here's my official interview for the award site, about suspense and research and plausibility. I squealed when I got the request. It made the nomination way more real.

Amazon Omnivoracious posed some excellent questions about the world of Newsflesh, which I was happy to answer. It's hard doing the interview circuit right around the time of a book release; I keep needing to find new things to say. Go see if I succeeded.

Finally, not quite a review, but: Georgia Mason made io9's list of the Top Ten Investigative Reporters from Science Fiction and Fantasy. They're from the future, you know. Them liking me melts my blackened little serial killer heart.

Now can I have a nap?

The countdown sort of scrambled my ability to stay afloat in the link soup over here, and so, in an effort to stop myself from drowning, I present Deadline reviews and interviews. Because otherwise, you may never find my body.

Our friends at BookBanter have posted a conveniently spoiler-tagged for Feed review of Deadline, and say, "Once again Grant has achieved the incredible with a long story of over six hundred pages that will have you wide eyed and mouth wateringly hooked from the very first to the very last. Middle books in trilogies are often weak compared to the strong start and captivating end, but Deadline is a worthy next installment that is as good as Feed in many ways, making it feel more like a continuation of the same book." Also, I am compared to Stephen King and Dean Koontz, making this THE BEST REVIEW EVER.

Keeping up our BookBanter party, I did an interview for them as Mira Grant, and we discuss lots of lovely things, including what Seanan and Mira have in common, what Mira does for fun, and what's coming up next. You should give it a read! Plus you can win a book if you do.

Kind of an interview and kind of not: I did another Big Idea piece for John Scalzi's Whatever, this time all about the concepts and science behind Deadline. It was fun and challenging to write, and you should definitely stop by and see what drove me to another 150,000 words of sheer insanity.

My Bookish Ways has posted an excellent review of Deadline, and says, "Sometimes it's hard to follow up such amazing work, and sometimes second novels in a series suffer a bit. Not Deadline. It's just as good as Feed, and you'll find yourself plowing through this 600+ page novel in no time. I missed quite a bit of sleep finishing this one up. Was it worth it? Totally." I am the cause of insomnia!

Finally (for now), Pen and Ink, Camera and Keyboard has posted a nice review of Deadline, and says, "Deadline is a great book, it's well written and genuinely enthralling." Also: "The build up at first feels off with a climatic introduction and action packed first chapters, only for everything to simmer down. That's until you realize that something big is building and when you finally hit the last act, well the terrible realization of the sheer scope is palpable. There's a section where Shaun and co are driving home and it's like the eye of a storm...the eerie silence before the shit hits the fan."

I cause insomnia AND terrible realizations! I win!

And that's all for the moment. I will now go sleep the sleep of the just and exhausted.

I have a story, "Julie Broise and the Devil," in the book Night-Mantled: The Best of Wily Writers, vol. 1. In preparation for the release, all of the authors included in this book were interviewed by Angel, our editor.

Here is her interview with me.

Learn fun things! Watch me answer silly questions! Enjoy the traditional interview format!

But what's that, you say? You're tired of the traditional interview format? You want to see it mixed up a little bit, rendered new and interesting again? Well, you're in luck, because Erin from Toasted Cheese (and my comics) decided to interview me-as-Mira using a fascinating new format that looks something like the bastard child of a pop quiz and an internet meme.

You can read my Toasted Cheese alphabet interview here.

Go forth, and be amazed as freedom to say whatever I want leads to some things you may not have heard me say seventeen times already!

And that's our interviews for the morning.

The random number generator has spoken! And it says the winners of Whedonistas are...

firebirdgrrl
jeffreycwells

Congratulations! Please send me your mailing information via my website contact form within the next twenty-four hours to receive your prize. If I don't hear from you by the time I rise from the depths of sleep tomorrow morning, I'll choose a new winner. For which I apologize, but well, that's the only way to maintain order around here.

For those of you who are waiting for me to mail you something: I will be packing posters for mailing out tonight, and doing the mass mailing on Monday. I currently have four paid posters pending (say that five times fast). If you wanted to order a "Wicked Girls" poster, now would be a good time to do it, as it would get you into a guaranteed mail batch (IE, Monday). I will be deleting all unpaid poster requests on Monday the 21st, which should free up several numbered posters. Again, I apologize, but I can't hold things forever. If you have not received a poster, and think you've paid, feel free to email me.

Interview and giveaway over at My Bookish Ways! I'm mailing the prizes, so they will be signed. Go ye forth, and participate. Or point people at the interview, and let them participate. I'm pretty easy, as such things go.

Descended From Darkness, Volume II is now available from the Apex Book Company, and contains my story, "Dying With Her Cheer Pants On," a Fighting Pumpkins adventure that first appeared in Apex Magazine. If you're trying to acquire the whole pumpkin patch, this book is a must. Also, you know. Rah rah supporting Apex, lots of other awesome stories (seriously, some of them blew my socks off), go team. But it's early in the morning where I am, so "GO PUMPKINS!" is about the extent of my brain.

What's news with you?

It's official! Late Eclipses [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy] is now available from fine bookstores everywhere in North America, and from many fine bookstores elsewhere in the world! HOORAY!

Here are a few things to help you celebrate:

Firstly, there are gorgeous Late Eclipses wallpapers and icons available now at my website! Dress your computer in its Toby-related finery, and enjoy Tara's increasingly incredible work every time you make a post or minimize your active windows. Wallpapers and icons from previous books are also available.

I've done a shiny new interview over at the Qwillery, and you can win a copy of Late Eclipses! Dust off your Shakespeare and get ready for a good time, or at least the kind of time that involves hearing about my writing process in faintly silly terms.

Because people ask a lot: every sale counts, and if it's a legit sale (IE, not from a guy in a trenchcoat standing behind the 7-11), I get paid for it. In order of "how helpful is this," it goes brick and mortar stores first, because a sale from them often leads to a re-order; online retailers second, since again, they have to restock when they run out; and ebooks third, as those never need to be replenished. Take two, they're small.

Finally, I am going to be at Borderlands Books this afternoon, doing a swing-through stock-signing. If you want a signed book, and will be unable to make my March 19th Borderlands event, you can call the store and place an order any time after 12:00 PST (when they open). I'm also willing to sign the first three books, Feed, Zombiesque, and Tales From the Ur-Bar (also coming out today).

Happy bookday to me!

Let's go in reverse order, shall we? Because sometimes linearity just doesn't cut it. Anyway, the annual Locus Magazine poll for the best speculative fiction has been posted, covering those items published during 2010. Many excellent things are on the list already, and there are write-in slots for excellent things which you feel should have been included there, but weren't. The poll is open until April 15th, and everyone can vote, although votes cast by actual subscribers count for double. (This is one reason, among many, that it is awesome to have a Locus subscription.) Go, take a look, and help paint an accurate picture of what people loved about the speculative fiction of 2010!

I recently did an interview with the charming Katie Babs, who has posted our conversation for everyone to see. Being more sophisticated about these things than l'il ol' me, she even included graphics and other such awesome bells and whistles. It was a fun interview, with good questions, and I highly recommend taking a peek, if only so she'll feel that her site traffic justifies having me back someday!

Why, no. I do not have any pride. Why do you ask?

The cats continue healthy. Alice is a bit heavier than I want her to be, since recovering from her illness included a lot of gooshy food and spoiling, so we're trying to feed lightly for the moment. This might work better if a) Thomas weren't a growing boy, b) Lilly were more willing to be pushy about her food, and c) Alice didn't flop in the middle of the floor wailing about how she's starving to death and I am the WORST MONKEY EVER. Although, to be fair, Alice's flopping would be more believable if she didn't shake the floor when she did it. Yes, yes, you're starving, my little tauntaun. And next time there's a cold snap, I am going to crawl inside you to keep myself warm.

Thomas is growing at a truly staggering rate; it's like he's taken Alice's size as a personal challenge, and is determined to beat her before the next time he sees Betsy (I always assume my cats are trying to impress their breeder with their spectacular awesomeness). He's still the sweetest thing on four feet, which is good, since otherwise, I would be in trouble. He's very smart, and very curious. He's also stubborn as hell. Last night, he was on my lap, trying to play with the popcorn I was eating, so every time he reached for a piece, I would flick his paw. A normal cat would have grown annoyed and stalked off, furious at such callous treatment. Thomas started flicking me back. I love my Maine Coons.

I also love my Siamese. Lilly remains the lickingest cat in the entire known universe, as the patch of skin she licked off the inside my elbow last night while I slept will cheerfully attest. She's a little daunted by suddenly being the smallest cat in the house, but she's dignified enough (in all regards except for the licking) to hold her own against the fluffy tide.

And now...toys. As you may know, I love toys. My bedroom is like a terrifying cross between a set built for the Halloweentown movies and a toy store. I have well over a hundred My Little Ponies (and am collecting more every day), the entire current Monster High toy line, and a bunch of random assorted dolls, action figures, and weird things, including an anime-style Emma Frost, a hungry flesh-eating wasp-woman, and the Impala from Supernatural. It's a fun room to sleep in sometimes.

Anyway, yesterday, I got home to find a box on my porch. And inside that box...PONIES. Lots and lots of lovely Ponies, including Baby Racer (a yellow Baby Brother Pony with blue hair and a race car on his rump) and Applejack and some beautifully ringletted Candy Cane Ponies...

And Oakly. The My Little Pony Moose. Who has been on my Top 10 Wish List for ages. And now? NOW SHE IS MINE.

It's a good week to be a Pony geek.

Tara is making me a Barbie version of Alice Price-Healy, which has given me an excuse to go shopping for lots and lots of 1/6th scale weapons on eBay. This is incredibly soothing. It's shopping with purpose, and that purpose will result in my having the best. Barbie. EVER. The other Barbie she made for me, Lt. Anis Bihari of the USS Rutan, is currently off-site having her uniform tailored. I expect much joy when she returns. Oh, and they just announced the second wave of the Monster High Dawn of the Dance line, which will include two of my favorite dolls (Draculaura and Ghoulia).

It's a good week to be a toy geek, period. I am a happy blonde.

Treat: a new interview is up at Papercut Reviews, and there's a chance to win a signed copy of either Rosemary and Rue or An Artificial Night. So whether you're a new reader or a long-time friend of the series, you can maybe win the book that's right for you!

Treat: Cory Doctorow has posted his thoughts on this year's Hugo Awards, and has some really sweet things to say about my acceptance speech. It's nice that other people remember it. I barely do. I was sort of out to lunch that day.

Treat: Katie Babs has posted about the New York Comic Con, and has a picture of a rare public Mira Grant sighting. The lovely Miss Mira is neither covered in gore nor decapitating anyone, which makes this picture doubly rare.

And today's big treat, which comes better late than never, I give you the September 2010 issue of Geek Speak magazine. Why? Because, well, it includes a fantastic interview with me (conducted in Australia, no less), which asks me a lot of fun things I don't get asked very often, a cracking good review of An Artificial Night, and a sweet, passionately lovely review of AussieCon IV, including, yes, my Campbell win. Seriously, I was like, 30% of this issue, it's awesome.

Those are your treats for this lovely Halloween morning. Stay safe tonight, and remember, always check your candy.

You know the drill: the links are winning, and it's time to smack them down again. I'm trying to keep these posts to a minimum, and I thank you all for your patience. I'll provide koala pictures soon, as penance.

First up, there's a really fun interview with Mira Grant on the Realm Cast, including some questions that aren't part of the "every time, they ask me" list. In fact, some of these questions were totally new. Reward ingenuity! It's fun!

Necroscope is the official zombie fiction review blog of Horrorscope (which says something terrifying about the scope of zombie fiction), and has posted a review of Feed, saying "Feed is a page-turner of the highest order, which hits the reader (emotionally speaking) like a ton of bricks when their defenses are down. A must-read for all fans of horror, SF, and anything in-between." Okay, Chuck at Necroscope, I officially adore you.

Oh, what the hell, have another Feed review, this one from Lordazen's blog. He says, "Mira Grant's first release in the Newsflesh trilogy is a roller coaster ride of action and emotion. She has captured the Zombie apocalypse in its most raw format and dishes it out on discs of pure saw blade lethality. An excellent beginning to what promises to be a thrill ride of a series." Fantastic!

Sick Damage has posted a review of Feed, complete with a first for me in book reviews: a picture of Conan the Barbarian. Well, okay. Anyway, their reviewer says, "The book is really really good. There are a lot of twists and turns and plenty of action to keep you going. It’s also one of the more original zombie novels I've read in a while." Thank you, Conan!

Finally for this batch, since I try to stop at five, Beyond Scary has posted a review of Feed, and says, "I had a lot of fun with this book, which is just as well as it runs to a lurching 560 odd pages of mayhem, and was generally surprised at just how well written it was. Okay the whole media thing isn't a Down Under perspective but I could get with the program there and go with the flow. I have seen the future of the zombie novel folks, and am now simply dying to get my hands on the next novel. Wonder if Mira Grant has thought about a sequel or another novel set in her undead world?" You have no idea how much this review makes me want to set a Newsflesh-universe book set in Australia. ZOMBIE KANGAROOS FOR EVERYBODY!

And that's a wrap. For now.

I'll have better things later today (and things which include slightly more in the way of "actual coherence"), but I was out late last night, and a nice big pot of link soup is currently about my speed. Yum, yum, link soup. Anyway...

SFX Magazine conducted this fun interview with me in my guise as Mira Grant with me at this year's San Diego International Comic Con, which means they transcribed my actual speech, thus leading to a lot of exclamation points. They had some fun new questions. I heartily approve.

And while we're in the Mira part of the library, Fantasy Magazine posted this excellent review of Feed. It's a fun read, even if it doesn't provide any good pull quotes for me to share with the rest of the class.

Pseudo Emo Teen posted a lovely review of Feed, and says, "Let me start out by saying: Feed is one of the best, if not the best, book I have read in long time." Okay, you know, that works for me. Let's just go with that.

Sometimes it's nice to get interviewed in my guise as, you know, me. So here's a fun interview that was conducted before my trip to Australia, during which I talk about the Campbell and the destruction of mankind. You know, the usual jibber-jabber around these parts. (The lovely lady who interviewed me posted her review of Feed after I won the Campbell, and you should read that, too.)

And now for something completely different...a review of Grants Pass, the first anthology I ever actually sold a story to. They call out my story, which makes this relevant. Also, it's a bad-ass anthology, and if you like horror, you should totally read it.

I'm starting to have nightmares about my link list. Anyway...

The Horror Fiction Review has published a review of Feed, and says, "At the risk of seeming disloyal to some of my idols, mentors and all-around awesome cool guys like Brian Keene and Dr. Kim Paffenroth, I am going to go ahead and come right out and say it...Mira Grant's Feed just might be the best damn zombie book I’ve ever read." Well, that's hard to beat, really.

Brutal As Hell has also posted a Feed review, now with bonus profanity (yay!), and says, "Feed is hands-down one of the best zombie novels to be published in a long time, which is saying something extremely special given the volume of zombie literature being published right now. Grant weaves a plot with a substantial amount of twists and turns, never losing the quality of writing, and she is certainly not afraid to go to places most authors wouldn’t even consider. I've read some great books this year, but nothing has left me with such a sense of excitement for future installments or for zombie literature as a whole like Feed has. Mira Grant has certainly captured my attention in a way that no other author, particularly a new author, ever has. Run to your nearest bookstore to get this book immediately. Bring a machete if it makes you feel more comfortable." Dude.

Cookies, Books, and Bikes has posted a Feed review, and says, "I loved this book! I was captured by the story from the first couple of pages and couldn't stop reading until it was done. The action just dragged me right in and kept me reading. The story had enough action interspersed with more mild events keep me reading and waiting for the next big event." That's all I can ask for, really.

Here, let's break things up a little with a new interview of Mira, conducted by the lovely crew at Fanatic Space. With some new questions and some new answers, it was a really good time, and you should totally give it a look.

Finally, for right now, Girl On Book Action (this is my new Journey cover band name) has posted a fabulous Feed review. Her review is long, detailed, and doesn't offer many pull quotes...although she does criticize the number of typos in the book. Oh, well, can't win 'em all.

That's it for today; look for another roundup coming soon, as I struggle to reclaim my link file.

Yes, again. Australia let my links get all out of control, and I'm just now starting to beat them back down to a manageable level. It's like wordy kudzu!

The Fantasy Cafe has posted a review of Feed, and says, "Even though I usually would treat a zombie book like zombies themselves and run the other way, I'm glad I read this one." Works for me.

Oh, hey! I did an interview with the Word Zombie to go with their Feed review. Give it a look, it's fun. Plus? Actual photo representations of my dream casting. Swoon.

My darling catvalente posted a long, thoughtful review of Feed, complete with MAINE COON MADNESS, and says, "The plot? Bloggers are hired to follow the Republican candidate for president some 40 years after the zombie apocalypse. A full society is in swing that knows how to deal with zombies but is still plagued by them. It's fascinating stuff. There is a conspiracy. Things bite other things. There are, I shit you not, both zombie palominos and zombie moose. This is unassailably awesome." Hee.

Beth at Flying Off the Shelves posted a lovely review of Feed, and says, "When I first started reading this book I wasn't expecting it to be nearly as good as it is. I questioned it and asked myself, 'How could this book be any good after reading World War Z? I don't want to read another crappy zombie book,' but I took the chance and I found that this book is truly an amazing piece of writing. The characters are dynamic and complex. The story line will knock your socks off. I actually don't have anything bad to say about this book whatsoever. Even the science behind this story is interesting and spot on when it comes to basic virus information. If her next book is anything like this I may just die (and hopefully not zombify)." Yay!

Finally for today, my old friend Mike Jones reviewed Feed for SF Site, and says, "Combining zombies, politics, epidemiology, pop culture, blogging, humor and horror, this is one hell of a series opener. Grant (the open pseudonym for urban fantasist/artist/songwriter Seanan McGuire) knocks the ball out of the park with Feed." Works for me.

Rise up while you can.

I have come to admit that I will not be clearing my list o' links before I leave for Australia, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to give it the old college try. So here's another batch of Feed reviews, to whet your interest in the book:

N.K. Jemisin included Feed in an awesome book rec post, and says, "This is a thriller. The fact that it takes place during the zombie apocalypse is irrelevant; it could be taking place during an outbreak of weaponized ebola. (Except ebola victims don’t try to eat you.) I count it as science fiction, though, because Grant deals realistically with the evolution of society; the worldbuilding here is fascinating in and of itself. And the characters kept me hooked all the way through, particularly as Grant pulls no punches in showing just how ugly a conspiracy in high places can get. There are some obvious digs at Bush-era politics and the information privacy wars. I can’t wait for the next book." Yay!

Lions and Men posted a lovely review of Feed, and said, "This novel is written in first person perspective and is interlaced with excerpts from the main characters' blogs. This alone is a fresh breath in the horror genre. The way in which Grant writes her characters allows the reader to truly connect with them. You never get the feeling that any of the characters are just placed in the novel to become zombie food; each one has a unique perspective of the world they find themselves in. The dialogue is at times hilarious, and at others, grave." More, it's a review of the audio edition! How cool is that?

To spice things up a little, Lions and Men also interviewed me, which is always a good time. Check it out!

Here's something awesome: a video review of Feed, posted at Through the Eyes of a Journalist. Also, the reviewer wears sunglasses the whole time, which is badass. I am a happy blonde.

Finally, for right now, Feed was reviewed by the Seattle Pi. The reviewer says, "These days I am often intrigued by cover blurbs for novels, but rarely surprised by the words within. Mira Grant's novel Feed starts out innocently enough but morphs into a complex, amazingly intelligent, engaging story that kept me reading late into the night a few nights. This is not your average zombie story and easily in the top three books I've read so far in 2010." Also: "Honestly, if you only read one book about zombies this year, read Mira Grant's Feed." Works for me!

Okay; more to come, as I try to muck out the stable of tabs, but for right now, this batch will have to do. Whee!

Oh, my!

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

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

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

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

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

See you at the bookstore!

I am home from Spokane, Washington, where I had a fabulous time as Spocon 2010's Music Guest of Honor. I'll actually post about it later, when I'm fully awake and capable of thoughts beyond "shower good, port pretty." For right now, have a roundup of the review links that came in while I was offline.

quippe has posted a review of Rosemary and Rue on Livejournal's own Urban Fantasy Fan community, and says "Seanan McGuire's novel, the first in a series, is an entertaining introduction to a carefully constructed urban fantasy world where Fae and humans live an awkward side-by-side existence." Also, "An interesting urban fantasy whose central character is very different to the type usually found in this type of fiction and a carefully constructed world with a huge amount of potential, this is an entertaining novel and I will be reading more of this series."

quippe has also posted a review of Feed, and says "Mira Grant has created a world where zombies and technology exist simultaneously and her carefully thought through society was a joy to read. Although the mystery element was a little too perfunctory and played second string to the world-building, the book ends with a set-up for the mystery to be developed in the sequel and I shall definitely be reading it."

Over at Book Addicts, a review of Feed has been posted, and says "The night I finished Feed, slept with my living room lights on because I couldn't handle sleeping in a completely dark apartment. I knew the dangers going into this when I picked up a book about Zombies, but I plunged in anyways. Yes, the size of the book is a little intimidating, but...just read it. The hooks go in and you’re dragged through this book like being dragged behind a boat on nothing more substantial than a piece of cardboard. It's terrifying and thrilling and we won't talk about the boat-and-cardboard-incident."

Yay! There's also a fun new interview with me-as-Mira, where some totally new questions were asked. It's well-worth checking out. Plus, it comes with an awesome contest. Take a look!

...okay, back to Toby. There's a new review of Rosemary and Rue up at All Things Urban Fantasy, which says "Rosemary and Rue, which gets its title from Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale, is a gritty and glorious true urban fantasy. I defy you to put this book down after the first chapter." Wow! Also, "Overall, Rosemary and Rue shocked me with how good it was." Double-wow!

Finally (for right now), Miss Geeky has reviewed Feed, and she says, "I really enjoyed Feed and I'm now really curious to what else Mira Grant has written (this is her first book as Grant, but she also writes as Seanan McGuire). Feed has a great story, which sucks you completely in. And it's got a fascinating world to discover along the way."

Well, folks, that's the weekend. I will now stagger off to bed. Tomorrow, I'll pretend to be coherent.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

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

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

Awesome!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look! A zombie bunny with a chainsaw!

Glee.

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

Marcon was very long, and very tiring, and totally cut me off from all Internet access, resulting in a whole lot of links building up while I was wandering through the wilds of Ohio. So here's our first review roundup for the month of June! Fun for the whole family.

I want to take a moment, before moving on to the meat of the post, to note that I do not link to every review. No, really, I don't! I don't link to reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. I don't link to reviews, either positive or negative, that contain major spoilers. I don't link to reviews where the reviewer seems to be being intentionally mean, rather than just being negative, because I don't want to cause them to get spammed by people trying to defend my honor. And I don't always link to reviews that are very short, or happen to come in at the same time as eighteen other reviews of the same thing. I love reviews, I want you all to write them (or not, as the fancy strikes you). If I don't link to yours in specific, I promise, it's not personal. Anyway...

First up, I was interviewed by the Innsmouth Free Press, which was totally awesome, since I spent the entire process picturing my interviewer as a Deep One. Anything that allows me to picture people as Deep Ones is a-okay by me. There are some fun questions in this one, and I, of course, am reasonably fond of my answers. Give it a peek.

Paul Allen has posted a fantastic review of Feed at the Barnes and Noble book club, and says "A cool fusion of campy post-apocalyptic zombie horror (George Romero is referred to as “one of the accidental saviors of the human race”) and highly intelligent political thriller a la Richard Condon’s The Manchurian Candidate, Feed—the first installment of Grant’s Newsflesh trilogy—is a surprisingly well-constructed and deeply themed novel." Also "Plain and simple, zombie fiction fans should definitely seek out and read this ingenious (and deeply thought-provoking) novel. I'd even recommend this novel to mainstream fiction readers looking for something new—if they don't mind a little rotting flesh in their literary escapism, that is..."

Awesome!

Strange Ink has posted a very sweet Feed review that opens with the admission "I almost didn't buy Feed." Since one of my best friends almost didn't read Feed due to zombie issues, I find this admission very sweet, and the faith that it represents very touching. She goes on to say, "Feed is not just another book about zombies. Feed is about politics and terrorism and truth. Feed is about fear, and how that is just as much of a weapon as a bomb, or a syringe full of virus. It is the kind of book that I want to buy extra copies of so I can stuff it into the hands of all my friends. (Seriously, I raved about it for a good five minutes at the party for my Goddaughter's baptism this weekend.)" Feed is all these things, and this is the kind of review statement I sort of want to write in Sharpie on my bedroom ceiling.

Eric at Flames Rising has posted a review of Feed, and says, "Here we have the ultimate pursuit of truth slipstreamed through both science fiction and horror. Here we have a book that broaches a subject that seems to be more in line with what most critics would call 'literary fiction.' But Feed has it in spades, not only is it a book that I believe will be something of a jumping on point for the zombie fiction of the twenty first century, it completely lapses itself back and forth from the pursuit of truth to the pursuit of survival against government conspiracies, to survival against hordes of the undead. I can not tell you dear readers just how much I have enjoyed this book, and at a whopping 590 pages in paperback format which was released by Orbit books, it is a fantastically fast read." Also: "Georgia Mason is possibly one of the strongest female characters I have read in a very long time." Um. Squee.

Our last review for today comes from Bookalicious, where a lovely Feed review has been posted. The review says, "The characters were written fantastically, the different viruses how they reacted, the different ways people reanimated. The fanatic religious element, betrayals, the mystery and the story line had me hooked. I am dying to get my hands on the next book. I need to know what happens next, and in a good way not in a 'ARGH open ending way.'" Rockin'!

That's a good place to stop for right now. Lots more review links to come, and then, possibly? A nice long nap.

It's time, once again, to clear out my list o' links before something on my computer actually manages to catch fire. Yay! The links have been building up like nobody's business; I attribute this, in part, to the fact that I put out two books in a little over two months, which makes it a miracle that I still speak English, rather than some exotic new language of my own devising. (That, or I've had a full-on psychotic break and only think I still speak English, in which case, dweezle wooblet mugga ze.)

To start today's roundup, here's a lovely record of the Feed book release event at Borderlands, written by TJ at Book Love Affair. There are pictures of the brain cupcakes and the fabulous Ryman for President buttons that Rae made, and it makes me quite happy. Be sure to read the comments, which are very complimentary of my book events. Yay!

Azz has posted a combo-book review and event review, which is fantastic, detailed, spoiler-free, and includes the best "Should I read Feed?" quizlet I've seen yet. Also, to quote two of my favorite bits...

"If you do emphatically do not like reading about the undead, do not read this book. It is not an unending gore porn festival like many forms of zombie fiction, but there are zombies; they are technically still alive, just horribly infected, and they do bite and feed and need killing. If you wanted a gore porn festival with a game of Zombie Survivor where you watch to see which one or two of the party make it back to an uninfected zone alive, this is not what you are getting; this is the civilization of the post-zombie times, not a survivalist picnic. (Ask Shaun how he feels about the military's recommendations on what to do in case of zombie attack sometime.) I would not give this book to my mother. I might leave this book where my father could find it, but I would not tell my father that he should read it. I would (and already have, quite enthusiastically) tell my best friend that he should read it (as soon as possible)."

...and...

"If you are against vaccination, for your personal safety, do not tell this to the author. The author's hobbies include studying disease for fun, not just for research. If you say something stupid like "It's not like anybody's ever died from smallpox! It's a PERSONAL CHOICE!" ... punching you may be the author's PERSONAL CHOICE. I hope you don't mind."

So very, very true. Moving on, I did an author review with The Intelli-Gent, which was fun, creative, and came up with some rockin' new questions, including some very specific state of publishing questions that I don't get asked all that often. Prior to the interview, Bryce reviewed Rosemary and Rue and A Local Habitation, just to prepare.

About Rosemary, he says, "Rosemary and Rue stacks up very well against all of the urban fantasy I've read in the last couple of years. The characters, setting and plot all come together to make you feel something, and thus it becometh a page turner. If you're a fan of the genre, you're going to want to add this to your list of things to read this year."

About A Local Habitation, he says, "A Local Habitation is a fine sequel. In many ways, it builds on what was already there, and there are really no major drawbacks to the book. It's nice to see an author that's consistent, as so many seem to have that second book slump, where it just doesn't measure up to their first brilliant idea."

Works for me, and big thanks to TJ, Azz, and Bryce for the interview and reviews. Now if I can just get through the rest of these links before my computer explodes...

Last week was a big, big week for me, at least if you categorize "Seanan is running around in circles screaming like an idiot" as "big week." How big? Well, for starters, The Onion A.V. Club reviewed Feed. YES. I AM IN THE ONION. FUCK YEAH, SEAKING. Ahem. The reviewer says:

"Set more than two decades after an uprising of the living dead, Feed uses meticulous world-building to shape a narrative that's believable, thrilling, and instantly clear. From examining the political consequences of a world constantly under siege to detailing how blogging and Internet news feeds would develop in the face of the threat, Grant's creativity and thoroughness give her narrative an unshakable credibility."

...if you'll excuse me a minute, I'll be in my bunk.

Not that I'll be staying there for long, because io9 also posted a review of Feed. Holy cats. They call Feed "perfect summer apocalypse reading," and say "This fast-paced undead thriller will be great for people who enjoy their zombie slaughtering with a hearty slice of social commentary." The whole review is worth reading, but those were the quotes that really buttered my biscuits. (io9 also did a fun and awesome post on the book website. Check it out.)

The Book Smugglers are frequent reviewers of my material, and I was thrilled when Thea gave Feed a review. She says "More than anything else, I loved the amount of thought Ms. Grant put into writing this book. Feed is INCREDIBLY detailed; George's world is fleshed out, from the genesis of the deadly pathogen to the constant vigilance required living with this airborne virus. Ms. Grant's vision of a future American ravaged by KA is grimly complete." Yay!

I also did what's called an "Inspirations and Influences" post for the Book Smugglers, talking about what inspires me, what drives me to write, and where the Newsflesh trilogy came from. The giveaway is over, but the interview remains.

Jenn Brozek has posted a combined review and interview at the Apex blog, and says "Feed is the best zombie book I have ever read. It is smart, fast paced, and intriguing. What could have been a run-of-the-mill zombie farce is, instead, a near future political thriller with twists and turns that you can see coming but only in retrospect." Glee.

Anna has entered Feed in her book log, and says "I’m not sure what impressed me more, and there’s a lot to impress here: the backstory of the Kellis-Amberlee virus; the various complex social and political changes that happen in America as a result of the Rising; the fact that in this world, George Romero is considered a national hero; or the upsurge of bloggers as a source of organized journalism. Either way, it makes me very much want to up the ante on my own writing efforts. Take note, my fellow writers. This is how worldbuilding is done."

Victory is mine, victory is mine, joy in the morning, victory is mine. I have drunk deep from the keg of glory.

Glee.

Today's fun and excitement begins with an interview with Mira Grant, hosted by Book Banter. There's even a handy list of some of my/Mira's favorite features from the world of zombie fiction. Go forth, and enjoy the gonzo!

Book Banter has also posted an excellent review of Feed [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy], which you can read by clicking here. Alex says "Mira Grant is not simply telling a good story about zombies; she is instead telling a fantastic story about a group of young bloggers covering the campaign of a hopeful presidential candidate in a world where there are zombies and fear is a part of everyone's everyday life. And as the book comes to a close, the reader realizes there are things in this world that are worse than zombies. They're humans. If you're going to read a book that has anything to do with zombies at all, read this one." Woo!

Book Bitch has posted a short Feed review, and says "Awesome. Fantastic. A post-outbreak, futuristic zombie tale that feels like it could actually happen. Feed is a totally creepy page-turner and first in the Newsflesh trilogy."

Amy at A Room of One's Own has chosen Feed as her bookstore staff pick, and says "Georgia is the antithesis of the generic blonde scream queen, and between her dry sarcasm and her brother's sharp humor, the dialogue throughout the entire book is snappy and real and riveting." Also: "The plot is diverting, the movement is fast-paced and satisfying. I couldn't put it down and the ending was like a punch in the gut. The second book in the trilogy comes out next May, and I can't wait. Read it!"

This is a command that I can get behind.

I've been writing structured poetry for most of my life. For the past several years, I've participated in a writing exercise I call "Iron Poet," wherein I request three words and a poetic form, and then write a poem to match the suggestion. (I don't have a round going right now, because I am out of hours in the day. I miss it. But I'm not quite that insane.)

I am honored and delighted to have a vilanelle in the latest issue of Goblin Fruit, an online magazine of speculative poetry. It's titled "Ever After Variations," and you can read it for free by following the link above.

Cabinet des Fees is an online journal of fairy tales. They publish fiction and poetry, essays and interviews, and I am totally over the moon to be interviewed in the latest issue. Another of my poems is reproduced alongside the article, titled "Baba Yaga Said." It's free verse, rather than a strict structure, and I'm quite fond of it. The interview was a joy, and the article is fantastic. Plus, check out this awesome description of me:

"A folklore maven and woman of the beautiful weird, Seanan burst onto the urban fantasy scene last year with Rosemary and Rue, the first book in her October Daye series. As her first series proliferates (Rosemary and Rue was recently joined by A Local Habitation, with An Artificial Night forthcoming in September), Seanan is also writing a year-long American folkpunk piece entitled Sparrow Hill Road at The Edge of Propinquity and has just published Feed, the first part of a zombie politico-thriller trilogy, under the pseudonym Mira Grant. Most of us are quite sure that Seanan never actually sleeps."

I'm folkpunk! Also a woman of the beautiful weird!

Halloweentown princess is go.

First up for today, Stephanie Leary has posted about becoming a fan of my work. This is charming, awesome, and really sweet. I especially appreciate the acknowledgment that my website does not suck. I think she's right in her assessment that we're the same kind of geek, too, which is awesome.

Because it's Feed's bookday, it's also time for some reviews. Unshelved is a web comic about librarians, and, being awesome people, the creators also provide space for book reviews. Well, they've posted a review of Feed, which says "This is smart zombie fiction, a mystery/thriller first and a zombie book second. Add the new media angle and the details of a society as obsessed with tracking infection as governing itself and you have a book that entertains with several different storylines." (They also have a note on who the book is recommended for, which says "Anyone who has discussed what a zombie-proof society would look like with good friends right after a Mountain Dew and Red-Vine fueled zombie movie marathon.") Hee.

Brian at Blog Critics has posted a lengthy review of Feed, and says "These days I am often intrigued by cover blurbs for novels, but rarely surprised by the words within. Mira Grant's novel Feed starts out innocently enough but morphs into a complex, amazingly intelligent, engaging story that kept me reading late into the night a few nights. This is not your average zombie story and easily in the top three books I've read so far in 2010."

Also, and I love this: "The first few chapters serve as an introduction to the Mason siblings' world, innocuously sucking you into liking these quirky characters and the bizarre zombie world they inhabit. It starts slowly as Grant rolls the Trojan Horse through your front gate and sets you up for an emotional thrill ride of politics, espionage, terrorism, and murder. I urge you to let Grant lay her trap. You'll get plenty of zombies, but soon see that the real monsters, just like in our own world, are all too human." Dude, I may need to get that done up in cross-stitch and hang it on my wall. But then, any review that closes with "Honestly, if you only read one book about zombies this year, read Mira Grant's Feed" has my love.

Slamel over at Elitist Book Reviews has posted a review of Feed, and says "Feed was a fun, and unique, ride through the flavor of the year. If we could choose a zombie book to recommend as a final foray into the zombie tropes, it would be Feed." The review is pretty awesome on the whole. I'm pleased.

Finally for right now, Adele over at Unbound tossed me some fantastic interview questions, and has posted her equally fantastic interview. We talk Toby, zombies, filk, and the Black Death, which is always a good way to spend an afternoon. Check it out!

Now we must rinse.

My browser is getting out-of-control again, and that means it's time to snag some links to clear some tags. Because that's just how we roll around here.

First up for today: I was part of an essay collection called Chicks Dig Time Lords, conceptualized by the lovely Tara O'Shea (who took my subtle hints about how she should let me submit with extremely good grace). Tansy Rayner Roberts posted a lovely review of the book as a whole, and called out my essay, "Mathematical Excellence: A Documentary" as "the pathos-ridden, hilarious, awful tale of a child whose childhood is colored by the deeply held belief that Doctor Who was a documentary series." Sadly accurate. Very cool review—and very cool book!

Heather at Darkly Reading has posted a review of A Local Habitation, and says "Ahh...what can I say about A Local Habitation, it has location (San Francisco Bay Area), hot and broody potential love interest (Tybalt), awesome heroine job (knight errant), and amusing sidekick (Quentin). All the perfect elements to make another great entry into one of my new favorite urban fantasy series." People who love Quentin and Tybalt are a-okay by me!

Heather also posted today's Sinful Sunday, with a focus on everybody's favorite snarky Cait Sidhe hottie. Yes: it's a whole post about Tybalt being awesome. Don't say I never gave you anything.

Dawn interviewed me for Horror Web! It was super-fun (good interviews usually are), and covered some really interesting ground. Check it out.

defectivewookie has posted an LJ review of Rosemary and Rue, and says "The prologue to Rosemary and Rue floored me. I put the book down, sat there for a moment, and then literally said "wow" out loud." Also: "The rest of the novel built on that impression, giving one of the most fleshed out and fully realized worlds I've encountered in Urban Fantasy. Read it. Now." Totally cool!

Rob at Aphelion has posted a review of A Local Habitation. He says "In the center of it all, complaining bitterly the entire time, is Toby Daye, a remarkably flawed, complex antihero who inspires you to alternately cheer her on and want to slap her silly. In a genre populated by unflappable protagonists who never blink in the face of danger, Toby is willing to admit, to herself if not always to others, when she's in way over her head." WIN! Also: "A Local Habitation is a delightful continuation of the October Daye series, and in many ways improves on its exceptional predecessor. With luck, we'll be seeing a lot more of Toby, and Seanan McGuire, in the future."

Miss Corene has posted a short, sweet review of Rosemary and Rue. No pull-quotes—like I said, it's short—but totally worth it for the pictures she took of the book in fun places.

Erika at Jawas Read, Too has posted a lovely review of A Local Habitation. The review is long, meaty, and difficult to pull a single quote from; go and give it a read, because she has some fascinating things to say.

I have lots more links, but not lots more time—Wondercon calls!—so that's where I'll leave things for today. More later.

The one problem with being immediately post-release for one book and pre-release for another—and believe me, I know, as problems go, this is possibly one of the best ones to have—is the speed with which links build up in my little pile o' things I need to post here. Since I need to get to work on the content for MiraGrant.com, I'm doing a roundup a little closer to the last one than I normally do, just to get them out of the way and free up a few tabs.

(I do these for reference sake, for archive's sake, and because my publisher actually does track reviews through my blog. In case you were wondering.)

First up, Sunil, who will be rooming with me at the San Diego International Comic Convention, has posted his LJ review of A Local Habitation. He had some issues with the book, which I found totally fair, but it was a generally positive review. There were no good pull quotes from this one; you'll just need to read it. Also, if you're in the Bay Area, Sunil is currently appearing in DeathPlay in San Francisco, and I highly recommend it for a night's entertainment. He's a funny guy!

My friend Will recommended the Toby books to stormfeather, who read and reviewed Rosemary and Rue. Yay! She says "The stories are intricate enough and involving, and I basically just enjoyed most of the things about these books." (She also wants to see more of the San Francisco crew, which I can guarantee in An Artificial Night. Yay!)

Harriet has posted a review of Feed over at Genre-Go-Round, and says "Feed is a profound action-packed paranormal political thriller that extrapolates from modern trends including epidemiology research, political buying, handling and spins, and blogging superseding mains stream media, but in a way that the audience would not expect." Woo-hoo! That makes me very happy. And not just because she said "politics" a lot.

There's a new interview with me up over at Dirty Sexy Books! I love this site, and this interview included some really fun questions for me to answer. (Actually, I just love interviews, period, as long as they don't ask where I get my ideas or make nasty comments about the amount of soda I consume.)

jawastew has posted a lovely review of Rosemary and Rue, and says "Rosemary and Rue is one of those novels I love and had so much fun with, I almost don’t want to screw those super fantastic feelings of glee with a review." But the review is there, and absolutely lovely. Give it a read.

bookblather has posted a review of A Local Habitation that is essentially pure comedy gold. She says "I promised myself I would be calm and coherent in this review. But I think we can all agree that that's not happening." Seriously, just...just read it (if you've read the book, she freely admits to the presence of spoilers). The laughing out loud, I does it.

That's it for right now; more to come!

Hey, guys—

I'm currently answering questions and chatting with people over at Bitten By Books. Here's the link:

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=21204

Please drop by, so I don't feel like I'm talking to my stuffed animal collection about how honored I am to be considered for enrollment in the Starfleet Academy?

As I've mentioned before, I qualify for the Campbell Award this year, and I'd really like to win the tiara, because receiving a tiara in Australia, the Land of Poison and Flame, would be basically a defining moment in my Halloweentown Disney Princess existence. (Receiving a tiara is always awesome. Receiving a tiara in Australia proves that I've been asleep for the past three years.) Some of my friends have made Campbell Awareness posts, spreading the love and letting it be known that I'm eligible. Specifically...

catvalente posted to give me her endorsement, and also link to my comic strip about why I want a tiara (because let's face it, it's eye-catching). talkstowolves posted a long, bullet-pointed endorsement (with, again, the comic strip). Both pointed out that urban fantasy is rarely represented on these ballots, so...let's change the world!

Meanwhile, theferrett (who is also eligible for the Campbell this year and next year) posted about reading Rosemary and Rue, and the difficulties of my specific literary style. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

On to the reviews and interviews and whatnot! First up, Larissa, of Larrissa's Life, conducted an interview with, well, me which went up today. Learn about some of my favorite things, and enter to win an autographed copy of A Local Habitation. Fun for the whole family! Larissa also posted a review of Rosemary and Rue. She says "The plot of this book was great, fast paced and riveting. I could not stop reading for a second and was almost blind sighted by who the villain really was." She adds, "I absolutely recommend this book to any UF lover out there." Go, read, enjoy, and enter to win!

janicu has posted a lengthy review of A Local Habitation, and says "I liked this one better than the first book. I love the heroine and the pacing of the story seems just right." More, "I highly recommend this series if you like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs or Ann Aguirre. The author writes complete installments but threads each book with hints as to the ongoing drama of Toby's life,and anticipating what could happen next is delicious. This is actually a series that I hope won't end at three books." You and me both!

Robin at Romance Reviews Today has reviewed A Local Habitation. Robin says "A Local Habitation is the second novel in this series, so some history is alluded to, but this does not affect the reading of this novel. It is a gripping mystery in a very well constructed otherworld. October is a great character, as are the supporting characters. There are some interesting romantic moments both expressed and constrained between Toby and three of the male characters, but business comes first. Quentin is a seemingly normal teenager caught in events out of his depth." Also "A Local Habitation is a wonderful urban fantasy readers will love." Well, they seem to so far...

s00j doesn't do many book reviews, but she decided to review A Local Habitation, because she is lovely. Sooj says "There's no doubt in my mind after reading this second October Daye novel that our heroine is made of sterner stuff (mostly coffee, if we are in fact what we eat) than me, and I do not envy her. Toby's pretty good at her job, but she can't stop people dying. Not even her friends, not even her superiors among the immortal Fae. If you thought she was strong in book one, Rosemary and Rue, you're not gonna believe all the crap she has to go through to make it to the end of A Local Habitation in one piece." She also says "If you couldn't put the first book down, make sure you set an alarm for a dinner break once you open this one. You'll need it. Once the action starts, it just gets weirder (and darker; we're not messing around here), and it doesn't waste any time. The only way in which A Local Habitation will do you wrong is that it will end, and it'll end in a pretty merciless way. But I find that, as with Rosemary and Rue, it's more than worth the ride." Yay!

Don D'Ammassa included A Local Habitation in his recent short reviews, and says "Like the first in the series, this rises above the limitations of its format. It would be a shame if this got lost in the crowd of similarly conceived though far less well executed novels."

And on that sweet, delightful note, I'm gonna end this post. Cheers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that's all for today.

Yup. It's that time again. The time when my collection of links has become ludicrously large enough to force my hand and generate a post of review and interview links. In fact, let's start with the interview links, since I'm in pre-release madness right now. Fun for the whole family!

The delightful Realm Lovejoy not only interviewed me, she drew a picture of Toby. Wow! She'd previously interviewed my agent, who introduced the two of us, and I couldn't be more pleased with the interview as a whole. (I may have already linked this. I can't remember, and in the case of data failure, it's best to take a second shot.)

Book Bound invited me over for an interview, and we had a dismaying amount of fun. Check it out, and learn more about my writing habits, what I think one should do with canned peas, and, naturally, my cats. This was a cheery, macabre conversation, and I'm happy to share it.

In the "reviews" division, Jennifer Brozek has reviewed A Local Habitation for Flames Rising. She says "This is an excellent standalone book that may be read without reading the first book in the series while still fitting into the supernatural world McGuire has created to overlay the San Francisco Bay Area," and "Over all, A Local Habitation is an excellent book that continues October Daye's story after a fourteen year curse, a hell of a wake up, the murder of her only friend and her attempts to make sense of a life that refuses to cooperate. This is my favorite urban fantasy series to date and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment." Yay!

Jenn at I Read Good has posted her review of Rosemary and Rue, and says "Rosemary and Rue is the great book set in the world of Faerie." She also says "Seanan McGuire has put together a great book. Toby's an interesting protagonist and you really want her to succeed in her mission." Rock on.

AJ reviewed both books in one huge, delicious sandwich. AJ says "At last, urban fantasy done right! Oh, I'm sure there's plenty of good urban fantasy out there, but it's hard to find amongst the books that feel more like mis-shelved romance novels. Seanan McGuire's October Daye series gives us that perfect melding of "real world" and magic, with just a dash of romantic subplot, enhancing the main story rather than derailing it." Of Rosemary and Rue: "It's a pretty fast-paced page turner and kept me in the dark about who the killer was until the end." Of A Local Habitation: "I enjoyed this one even more than the first, as Toby and a young faerie squire named Quentin find themselves investigating a series of mysterious deaths—in a software company run by faeries. Finally! Faeries not just able to use technology, but outright embracing it."

The Discriminating Fangirl has posted a review of Rosemary and Rue, and says "I'd been waiting for this book for quite a while. It was worth the wait." At more length: "McGuire's grasp of dialogue is realistic, with different quirks of speech for each different character; I’ve read a number of books lately where everyone talked exactly alike, so much so that each exchange could have been stamped out with a cookie cutter. The description here is lush and decadent, vividly describing both the mundane setting of San Francisco and the otherworldly vistas of the faerie realm. The action sequences and plot twists were fast-paced and kept my heart pounding. The mixture of noir detective story elements (reminiscent of the best work of Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett) with the urban fantasy setting makes Rosemary and Rue stand out from the crowd of other urban fantasies."

Whee!

Finally for this roundup, it's not too late to potentially win a free copy of Rosemary and Rue! Hie ye over to the Confessions of a Wandering Heart and find out how.

So I have a reporter from the Contra Costa Times coming over this afternoon to interview me and take some pictures for a local author profile piece. This is pretty cool. I've never been profiled in the newspaper before. We've cleaned the whole house (for values of "we" that mean "mostly my mother"), my room is slightly less of an EPA hazard zone than usual, and the cats have been thoroughly lectured on not throwing up in front of the cameraman. After a great deal of discussion, I have agreed to the following list of Things Seanan Isn't Allowed To Discuss With the Reporter (unless she starts it):

1. The Black Death.
2. Parasites.
3. How parasites caused us to evolve gender.
4. Endemic bubonic plague in California's ground squirrels.
5. The X-Men.
6. Crazy Australian mermaid shows.
7. Anything involving venom.
8. Dinosaurs.
9. The inevitability of the zombie apocalypse.
10. Anything that involves socially unacceptable hand gestures.
11. The ineffective nature of H1N1 as a slatewiper pandemic.
12. How my pandemic would be better.
13. Pandemics, period.
14. My collection of My Little Ponies.
15. My collection of plush weaponry.
16. My collection of plush viruses.
17. Banana slugs.
18. How to evolve a society of pseudo-mammal telepaths from parasitic wasps.
19. Why you would want to do that in the first place.
20. Giant squid.
21. Reality television.
22. Bedbug reproduction.
23. Anything Kate won't let me talk about during dinner.
24. Necrosis.
25. The slow conversion of aspartame into formaldehyde.
26. Monkeyspheres.
27. The fact that the turtle couldn't help us.
28. My limited and specialized knowledge of ASL.
29. The virtues of the machete vs. the meat cleaver.
30. That vial of liquid mercury I bought at a garage sale.
31. Tarantulas.
32. Cheese.
33. Jerusalem crickets.
34. What I did last summer.
35. The vast disparity between women's "appropriate" weight and the things women eat in television commercials.
36. Evil Dead: the Musical.
37. Why you should turn to cannibalism immediately when stranded on a desert island.
38. Kuru.
39. Flensing.
40. Parthenogenic reproduction.
41. Reasons to go crawling around in a sewer.
42. Observing autopsies.
43. Why yoga is better with Rob Zombie.
44. SyFy Original Movies.
45. The drinking games that accompany same.
46. Why I went to Waverly Place last time I was in Manhattan.
47. Pie.
48. Pi.
49. Structured poetry.
50. People as an available source of protein.

1. I'm taking entries for the pet photography ARC giveaway through the end of the weekend. No horses, snakes, or hermit crabs yet, but I'm holding out hope!

2. There's a shiny new interview with me over at Book Love Affair, discussing the next two Toby books, the first of my books as Mira Grant (Feed), how I keep myself from spontaneously combusting, and various other topics of interest. I'm answering questions throughout the day, so please, swing by, and see if anything sparks your curiosity!

3. I'm going to be appearing December 12th in San Francisco as part of the Writers With Drinks series. To quote the website, "Writers With Drinks combines erotica with literature, stand-up comedy with science fiction and poetry with essays." The show is at The Make-Out Room (3225 22nd. St., San Francisco), from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. The doors open at 7 PM. I don't know yet just how many drinks this writer will have, but if I have enough, my piece for the evening will probably be the full stand-up version of The Microwave Story. Be there!

4. In case that's not good for you (and it may not be, as not everyone is local to me), I'm also going to be doing a book reading/concert at the Wayward Coffeehouse in Seattle, on December 26th. Vixy and Tony are going to be there to help me blow the roof off, and there will be lots of other exciting goodies throughout the night. It's gonna be awesome.

5. I'm going to go finish Discount Armageddon now.

First up, some exciting Rosemary and Rue-related news: namely, it's going to be October's book of the month at Genreville. Genreville is an exciting genre-focused blog hosted by Publishers Weekly, moderated by some really awesome folks. I couldn't be happier.

If you've been waiting for an interview with me that dared to ask the really bizarre questions, you should take a look at this fun, flippant interview conducted by Jonathan Fesmire. Jon's a dear friend of mine, and I was his "maiden voyage" into the world of interviewing authors. Let's see if future interviews stay this surreal.

The nice folks over at BSC (a blog with the endearing subtitle of "Because We Said It") posted this charmingly detailed and lengthy review. Quoth the reviewer, "Rosemary and Rue combines mystery and fantasy to very good effect, making this book fast-paced and full of action. It's very nice to see an urban fantasy book that doesn’t include the modern trend towards paranormal romance." Also: "I would definitely recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy, as well as readers who don’t mind well-mixed genres." Yay!

Also in today's review roundup, the Suburban Banshee posted this awesome review, including such delicious quotes as "This is real urban fantasy, in short, and not the McDonald’s equivalent that’s been crowding the shelves for the last few years. Buy it, buy it, buy it, before the last few copies disappear from your bookstore." (If you could make those last few copies disappear, I'd be ever so grateful...)

Finally, I give you the review that made me squeal like I'd just been named Prom Queen at the Geek Prom, where the pig's-blood shower is a perk, not a problem: Rosemary and Rue has been reviewed on IO9. It's a long, detailed, and best of all, fair and balanced review which neither paints me perfect nor positions me for pillory. Charlie Jane is awesome that way, and says—among other things, you should really read it—"After exploring McGuire's fairy city for one dark murder mystery, I'm on board for more, and looking forward to seeing how October's tangled web of allegiances and obligations plays out over the course of the next few books."

I win at geek.

(I promise to post about the fact that holy cow, it's my bookday birthday, in a little bit. Right now, I'm just trying to get through the review roundup without my fingers falling off! Holy cow!)

spectralbovine is a good friend of mine, but he's also incredibly media-savvy, and very picky about the things that he likes. So I admit, I was a little nervous when he said he was going to review Rosemary and Rue. At the same time, I knew he'd be fair. Well, his review of the book is up, and he was definitely fair. Quoth Sunil, "Oh yes, I'm going there: this book is like Veronica Mars, Faerie Detective."

I love my friends.

Over at the League of Reluctant Adults, the winner of the "win an ARC and write a review" contest has posted this awesome and erudite review of Rosemary and Rue. Quoth JD, "Rosemary and Rue is a good, solid novel and a fantastic debut. I look forward to reading more about Toby and her world. It really did almost make me believe again in Faeries."

Works for me!

mneme has also posted his review of Rosemary and Rue, calling it "a fun, beautifully written, rewarding urban fantasy that I intend to reread and recommend," while judifilksign's review of the book says "McGuire does a fantastic job of creating an alternate reality that is consistent, believable and not a copy of other writers in the genre." Yay!

Our first Dreamwidth review! It comes from Four-and-Twenty (watch those blackbirds), whose review is posted here. Since I sort of want to quote the whole review, I'll just tell you to go and read it. Don't worry. I can wait.

If you've been around here for more than a few days, you probably already know that vixyish is one of my favorite people in the whole world, part of my Seattle family, and a member of the mighty machete squad, without which there would be a hell of a lot more typographical and logical errors in my books. Well, she is now also one of the reviewers to tackle Rosemary and Rue, which she did with sufficient disclaimers to keep people from looking at her funny. Vixy says "I genuinely and highly recommend Rosemary and Rue to fans of urban fantasy, or murder mysteries, or P.I. novels, or worldbuilding, or complex characters, or folklore, or fairy tales, or Shakespeare, or British folk ballads, or just plain exciting and engrossing stories that are likely to keep you up half the night reading just one more page." I say, again, that I love my friends.

We've had a lot of reviews in the past few weeks, so you might think there's nothing left that can really get me excited. Well, you'd be wrong, because waking up to discover that I'd been reviewed in the MIAMI HERALD OH MY GOD YOU GUYS got me really, really excited. Given how sick I still am, I sounded like a bat being fed into a wood-chipper. Pity poor Amy's eardrums. The MIAMI HERALD OH MY GOD YOU GUYS says "skipping Rosemary and Rue would be a sad mistake" and "first-time novelist McGuire reminds us that even in an overused setting, a well-told story with memorable characters casts magic all on its own." Also, it's the MIAMI HERALD OH MY GOD YOU GUYS.

Wowzers.

In case you're tired of straight reviews, I was lucky enough to get interviewed by Alex for the Book Banter podcast. Here's your chance to hear me, live and (mostly) unedited. (I accidentally swore at one point, and Alex kindly snipped that out, because we appreciate not getting yelled at for profanity.) The interview was recorded in the dining room of Au Couqulet, so you can also hear silverware and dishes, if you listen real close. It was a fun time, and I really recommend giving it a go.

If you enjoy interviews, I also have a fun interview up over at Lurv ala Mode, where Kendra has been just awesome during the whole book release process. Check it out!

If you don't have your copy yet, there's a random giveaway going on over at Fantasy/Sci Fi Lovin'—enter to win, or direct your friends to head on over.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words (and I want breakfast), I leave you with Amy very studiously engaging in literature on a train, and Toby Daye VS. THE VELOCIRAPTORS! Pictures and crazy courtesy of Brooke. Because we didn't have enough crazy on our own.

It's a book!

So I was interviewed over at Words to Mouth, by the charming and erudite Carrie Runnals. I enjoy giving interviews, in much the same way I enjoy writing bios for my website. I am also inevitably convinced that I came off sounding like a chirpy sunshine-and-rainbows-and-Marburg moron. It's fun living inside my head. That's where all the weasels are.

Anyway, if you hie on over to the interview and leave a comment before August 31st, you can win a free copy of Rosemary and Rue. "But wait," you cry, "I've already pre-ordered!" Or perhaps, "I don't want to wait that long!" But oh ye of little faith, don't you think you could come up with something awesome to do with an extra copy of Rosemary and Rue? Donate it to a library. Leave it as a tip for your favorite diner waitress. Wedge that shaky bookshelf with something other than your Algebra textbook, thus saving yourself from the curse of the crazy Classics major. Whatever makes you happy! The possibilities are truly endless.

I have at least two more interviews coming up in the next few weeks, and it's beginning to make me a little bit twitchy. Again, I love giving interviews, it's all just...very real these days. My soundtrack for the past few weeks has consisted (when it wasn't endless versions of "Rain King") of "Writing Again" and "Moving Too Fast" from The Last Five Years. Sample:

Did I just hear an alarm start ringing?
Did I see sirens go flying past?
Though I don't know what tomorrow's bringing,
I've got the singular sensation things
Are moving too fast...

It's an excellent song, sung by a character I very much identify with (except for the part where he's a Jewish New Yorker, rather than an Irish California blonde). And wow is that how I spend a lot of timing feeling just now.

So go, comment, maybe win a book, and make Carrie feel like interviewing me is a really awesome idea. Whee!

So I belong to SFWA (The Science Fiction Writers of America), a truly massive organization filled with writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Having grown up in fandom, the fact that I now qualify to be a part of SFWA -- to belong to an organization with all these people -- still sometimes seems like proof that I'm going to wake up any second now. Seriously. There has to be a catch.

SFWA publishes a bi-monthly magazine, The SFWA Bulletin, to make sure that all its members have at least a vague notion of what's going on. Each issue includes a spotlight on a brand-new member, someone who's just recently joined and needs a cheery introduction to the rest of the clubhouse. Guess who the spotlight's on in the October/November issue?

You're a good guesser.

So there's a little interview with me, and a picture from my website, and it's all very posh. It's also all very real. I mean, the potential that somebody's going to yank this football away from me goes down daily, because there's just too much concrete evidence piling up out there. I'm in the magazine that SFWA sends to all its members.

How awesome is that?