tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87667956776852973582024-03-17T20:03:52.405-07:00Sarmin's CornerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-21585633372101700032014-08-27T09:24:00.000-07:002014-08-27T09:24:48.886-07:00Big Fat Giveaway Winners!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thank you for participating in a text-based contest. I know it's so 90s, and that it's not easy for everyone to put their writing out there. So thank you.<br />
<br />
Everybody won, so the only reason I got the dice out was to see who got first choice on their book preferences. If I assigned you a book you simply don't want, let me know and we'll talk.<br />
<br />
Addresses get sent to Mazarkis dot Williams at gmail dot com. Otherwise I cannot mail your book!<br />
<br />
Jo Fletcher Books Tower Broken hardback<br />
<br />
Paul Weimer<br />
Jared Rosner<br />
<br />
Night Shade Books Tower Broken hardback<br />
<br />
Tim Gorman<br />
Richard Auffrey<br />
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Jo Fletcher Books Tower Broken trade paperback<br />
<br />
Tim Roane<br />
<br />
Night Shade Books Knife Sworn hardback<br />
<br />
Musichimes<br />
Doug Sturtevant<br />
Andy Paul<br />
Ambitious but Rubbish<br />
Margo-Lea Hurwicz<br />
Lisa Herrick<br />
Tracey Erickson<br />
1Jazztypeguy<br />
<br />
Jo Fletcher Books Knife Sworn hardback<br />
<br />
Charlie Hopkins - at least I think I can find one for you. Surprise! As far as your second entry, I am out of hardbacks so email me.<br />
<br />
Jo Fletcher Books Knife Sworn trade paperback<br />
<br />
Ashley Jordan<br />
Kay Taylor Rea<br />
<br />
Jo Fletcher Books Knife Sworn paperback<br />
<br />
Dusty<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-48073996963691568412014-08-19T09:33:00.000-07:002014-08-30T19:14:15.719-07:00The Big Fat, Better than Anything, (US only) Bigger than Your Head Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>This giveaway has now ended! Thank you. <a href="http://mazarkis.blogspot.com/2014/08/big-fat-giveaway-winners.html" target="_blank">http://mazarkis.blogspot.com/2014/08/big-fat-giveaway-winners.html</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"No-one - priest, scholar, or king - knew who or what had drawn the stone from the mountain and shaped it into an arch. It had been standing on high for hundreds of years before the godhouse was built below. Perhaps thousands. Its origins were no longer considered as important as its message, a warning that in sunlight gleamed for miles and in starlight flashed and sparkled. For beyond the arch solid mountain sheered off to a mist, shielding both sight and sound. The Edge of the World." </i>More on that later.<br />
<br />
So from my overflowing boxes I have pulled out the following to give away:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--6uNaP6rTJo/U_N7ILYGgHI/AAAAAAAAAOY/cLs_h3DfQVY/s1600/Photo08151351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--6uNaP6rTJo/U_N7ILYGgHI/AAAAAAAAAOY/cLs_h3DfQVY/s1600/Photo08151351.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 Jo Fletcher Books (UK edition) <i>Tower Broken</i> hardbacks</li>
<li>2 Jo Fletcher Books (UK edition) <i>Tower Broken </i>trade paperbacks </li>
<li>2 Night Shade Books (US edition) <i>Tower Broken</i> hardbacks<i></i></li>
<li>8 Night Shade Books (US edition) <i>Knife Sworn</i> hardbacks</li>
<li>4 Jo Fletcher Books (UK edition) <i>Knife Sworn</i> paperbacks</li>
<li>2 Jo Fletcher Books (UK edition) <i>Knife Sworn</i> trade paperbacks</li>
</ul>
<br />
That's twenty books! TWENTY!! That has to be the biggest, big fat, better than anything, bigger than your head giveaway ever. (Even though unfortunately my wallet can afford only to send within the U.S.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S83dtCHfW3w/U_N7j_wy6vI/AAAAAAAAAOg/SD1rQBH2o2s/s1600/studiouscat1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S83dtCHfW3w/U_N7j_wy6vI/AAAAAAAAAOg/SD1rQBH2o2s/s1600/studiouscat1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"But how do I win?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's how to win. In the comments below, write the next paragraph to my unfinished story from 1998. Since it's impossible for me to choose the BEST answer, I will have to choose randomly. In your comment, please indicate which book you would prefer to win.<br />
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Good luck! <br />
<br />
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<br />
<i></i>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-24200937894621515942013-09-15T08:17:00.000-07:002013-09-15T08:17:44.868-07:00Unforgivable CursesThere have been some interesting discussions on the author-critic dynamic of late.<br />
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This appeared on a now-defunct forum and I'm reposting with permission of the author.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILY3FG-_Vjs/UeEZeouN1kI/AAAAAAAAB10/V-LrCp6oTJc/s1600/anger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILY3FG-_Vjs/UeEZeouN1kI/AAAAAAAAB10/V-LrCp6oTJc/s1600/anger1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Unforgivable</b></span><b style="line-height: 18px;"> Curses</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Because I’m such a muggle I can’t get myself a life sentence simply by uttering one of three different words or phrases. You know, crucio, or that one that sounds like abracadabra. As a writer though, I can get myself chased by a </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">sizable</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> horde of internet villagers, complete with pitchforks and torches, with a simple </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">unforgivable</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> phrase. For the wizard it’s all about the exact wording and pronunciation (it’s not leviosa, it’s </span><i style="line-height: 18px;">leviosa</i><span style="line-height: 18px;">), for the writer it’s less about the words and more about where you put them. If you place them in the comments section of a negative review... bang!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Now common sense and anecdote are sufficient to furnish a writer with the notion that replying to negative reviews is by and large a waste of time. The reviewer has an opinion, they’re perfectly entitled to it, and they’re incredibly unlikely to change it because of anything you’ve got to say about the matter. Couldn’t convince them in 400 pages? 5 more lines isn’t going to swing it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">On the flip side, readers of the review will add their comments as invited, and many of them will have different opinions about the book in hand. We like to read those different opinions – that’s why the comments section is there. So why should a writer avoid commenting on a negative review of their own book? Answer: “Escalation”. It will often be the case that one comment leads to a reply and, step-by-step along a path paved with less-than-good intentions, the exchange descends into flames.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">However, things seem to have moved on. Somewhere along the line the concept that a writer is </span><i style="line-height: 18px;">ill-advised</i><span style="line-height: 18px;"> to comment on a negative review seems to have morphed into a law that a writer </span><i style="line-height: 18px;">may not</i><span style="line-height: 18px;"> comment on a negative review, and that if they do they have committed some crime for which they must not be forgiven and must be punished. Even slight and innocuous incidents, occasions where someone who knows the writer might have commented, occasions where fans of the writer’s work may have commented, become celebrated events. Twitter lights up. Fevered messages are exchanged. The details are utterly unimportant – someone has committed the </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">unforgivable</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> crime and the troops must be </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">marshaled</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> WTF, they say. The shops run short of exclamation points and question marks. It’s a fete day, people unfold their blankets and open picnic hampers to watch the train wreck. Indignant goodfolk declare they were on the very verge of buying that self same book but now wouldn’t piss on the writer in question were they on fire. The hit squad sets off for Goodreads to set up new accounts and dole out a ritual punishment of 1*s. It’s another happy day of righteous anger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9b7FGKPqm0/UeEZophjWGI/AAAAAAAAB2U/x4JHFaPTh34/s1600/anger5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9b7FGKPqm0/UeEZophjWGI/AAAAAAAAB2U/x4JHFaPTh34/s1600/anger5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Rewind. The writer has done something that’s ill-advised because it may lead to an exchange that reflects poorly on them. They haven’t scanned and posted their klu-klux-klan membership card. They haven’t reversed over a baby and driven away howling with laughter... They haven’t yet even had a heated exchange that reflects poorly on them. The reviewer is happier than any Larry you care to mention because site traffic is through the roof and that the person whose book they didn’t like has taken the trouble to register their opinion. The reviewer is not sitting in a shaded corner surrounded by concerned well-wishers as they fan themselves and try to recover from the shock. They have not been intimidated by BIG WRITING.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Unprofessional! scream the fevered masses. How dare this person open their mouth in the place where comments are invited? How can they live with themselves having let down the side and brought shame upon the well ordered ranks of famously conventional law-abiding folk that constitute the writing fraternity, those regimented pros who make the ancient order of chartered accountants look like wild anarchists on an acid trip. For shame. Weep. Were we only to bind the corpses of the world’s literary giants with copper wire the energy crisis would be finished, so fast must they be spinning in their graves at the thought of an unprofessional writer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">So here’s the thing. I’m not a rebel without a cause. I’m not saying look at me I’m craaaaazy, how cool is that. But I’m also not going to be dictated to about what I can and can’t say and where I can and can’t say it by the internet police, however self-appointed they may be and however shiny the badge they made. If I want to respond to a negative review - and 99% of the time I don’t – then I will.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LzSoXN1vI-w/UeEZmYUEkFI/AAAAAAAAB2M/qYso15h9l7Y/s1600/anger4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LzSoXN1vI-w/UeEZmYUEkFI/AAAAAAAAB2M/qYso15h9l7Y/s1600/anger4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-61269681929831844102013-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:002013-02-20T13:59:33.913-08:00Doing DoodlesSo there are signed books, and everyone seems to like those. A signature takes 3 seconds and can triple the price of a book (or more, depending where you try to buy them). But for the real devotee there are doodled books! Like all collectables the added value is in the eye of the beholder, something ineffable. A first edition really isn't any different from a second edition (there are often far more first editions than second or third). A signature is just a tiny smear of ink) but it's a connection to the author above and beyond the mechanically reproduced words, and people like it. A signed first edition of some famous book from a few decades back can fetch tens of thousands. True, mine are unlikely to ever be worth more than a nice meal, but hey - they will last longer!<br />
<br />
A doodle is something more. Not a signature that's bashed out thousands of times, but something chosen and executed with imagination, something that took time and thought. It may not be great art, but it's far more personal than a signature.<br />
<br />
There's a site <a href="http://www.doodledbooks.com/mazarkis-williams-1922-c.asp" target="_blank">Doodled Books</a> that sells doodled books by all manner of authors. Some of them are very good, some very funny, and some even both. Anyway, it takes a helluva lot longer than a signature and they pay me £5 ($7.50) for doing one, but I enjoy scribbling and each one is a book sold and more than that it's a book someone is going to keep and look after.<br />
<br />
So, if you want one here are the kind of things on offer. Go check 'em out!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-86017633304080172212013-02-15T12:09:00.000-08:002013-02-22T08:30:46.228-08:00Next Jo Fletcher Books Giveaway: The Snowmelt River by Frank P. Ryan!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Previous winners yet to claim their prizes:</b><br />
<br />
ally r (<i>Irenicon</i>)<br />
Roger Bellini (<i>The Vampire Shrink</i> and <i>Blood Therapy</i>)<br />
<br />
Remember to send your snail mail address to Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com! Thanks!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
On to this week's contest: The Snowmelt River by Frank P. Ryan!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcGRz-BBHl4/UR6U4tTam1I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Dk3APAS5dbg/s1600/Snowmelt_River_PBO+09-48-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tcGRz-BBHl4/UR6U4tTam1I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Dk3APAS5dbg/s320/Snowmelt_River_PBO+09-48-24.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Awesome cover, right? You want it, right?<br />
<br />
<i>On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a
doorway to an ancient land of terrible power. The gate of Feimhin has
lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost. But now
four orphans drawn together by Fate must pass through the portal to face
their destinies. What they find beyond is the enchanted but war-ravaged
world of Tír, a strange land populated by monsters. Here death waits at
every corner and they must learn to fight if they are to survive. And
they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the
Wastelands, is growing in power.
</i><br />
<br />
Listen up, U.S. people! This book is not available here! This is your chance to get your paws on it.<br />
<br />
But of course I'll make you work for it. Come up with a cool monster for me and you will be entered to win the book. Good luck!<br />
<br />
+ + +<br />
<br />
This contest is now closed. The winner is Richard Auffrey! Congratulations! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-18322051619854665742013-02-10T07:48:00.000-08:002013-02-15T08:22:24.646-08:00This Week's Giveaway: Double-Duty The Vampire Shrink Paperback & Blood Therapy Trade Paperback!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week is double duty with two (2) Lynda Hilburn books! <i><b>The Vampire Shrink</b></i> and<i><b> Blood Therapy</b></i> are here for you to win! What if you were a psychologist and your clients thought they were vampires?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G_hvMmMN7WQ/URe-G-J1fOI/AAAAAAAAAKk/AptD3Evm9HM/s1600/Vampire_Shrink_MMP+09-48-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G_hvMmMN7WQ/URe-G-J1fOI/AAAAAAAAAKk/AptD3Evm9HM/s320/Vampire_Shrink_MMP+09-48-19.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<br />
<i>Kismet Knight is a young psychologist with a growing clinical practice,
and she's always looking for something to give her the edge in her
chosen career. When her new client turns out to be a Goth teenager who
desperately wants to become a vampire, Kismet is inspired to become the
vampire shrink, offering her services to people who believe they are
undead. Kismet herself, as a scientist, knows it's hokum, but she's
looking at it in a purely psychoanalytic light, already imagining the
papers she's going to write on this strange subculture. <br /><br />That's
until she meets the leader of a vampire coven, a sexy, mysterious man
who claims to be a powerful 800-year-old vampire, and she is pulled into
a whirlwind of inexplicable events that start her questioning
everything she once believed about the paranormal.</i><br />
<br />
OK to enter this week's contest, please come up with a name and personality for a vampire! On Friday I will roll my die and choose a winner. The winner will please please send me his/her/hir mailing info to<br />
<br />
<b>Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com</b>,<br />
<br />
and the wonderful Nicola Budd at Jo Fletcher Books will then send his/her/hir copies! Easy!<br />
<br />
<b>Previous winners who have not yet claimed their books:</b><br />
<br />
Ally r (<i>Irenicon</i>)<br />
Johann Pollard (<i>City's Son</i>)<br />
<br />
Follow the instructions above to get your copies!<br />
<br />
Thanks and good luck!<br />
<br />
++++<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>This competition is now closed. The winner is Roger Bellini! Congratulations! </b></h4>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-32587599995713321152013-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:002013-02-09T07:43:26.239-08:00Waiting for Nemo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2445.html" target="_blank">seen </a>the epic satellite photo of the storm that's hovering over me right now, but all I get from it at the moment is sinus pressure. Still, in the spirit of cataloguing this historic event, I have begun to take pictures a few hours apart. Right now I've only two, this one<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M8ucVnIUYyM/URVhDFgc6-I/AAAAAAAAAJc/rtPXGwbcJEo/s1600/nemoat1230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M8ucVnIUYyM/URVhDFgc6-I/AAAAAAAAAJc/rtPXGwbcJEo/s320/nemoat1230.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
which shows my car shortly after the state of emergency was declared, and this one<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLf6d0sZu5c/URVhLaDTxAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/6T2lsTE85k8/s1600/Nemoat330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZLf6d0sZu5c/URVhLaDTxAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/6T2lsTE85k8/s320/Nemoat330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
taken three hours later. Nothing too bad yet. If my car isn't so interesting here's a better picture my sister took from the attic with all our New England-y rooftops.<br />
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More later! The subway and commuter trains have already shut down for the day and nobody is allowed on the roads after 4. Should get interesting, or we have crawled to a halt for no reason.<br />
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Update: Well Nemo seems to be here. I took these pics<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5MoYbTu1dI/URXL4_C_wAI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/FQsuQFYFAGY/s1600/nemo500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5MoYbTu1dI/URXL4_C_wAI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/FQsuQFYFAGY/s320/nemo500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aml2JE2h7xU/URXL8SWIMiI/AAAAAAAAAKE/bRmHmqDWjKw/s1600/nemo1100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aml2JE2h7xU/URXL8SWIMiI/AAAAAAAAAKE/bRmHmqDWjKw/s320/nemo1100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The first at 5:00, and there was very little change from 3:00. But just now (at 11) I could not get the screen open, for it was coated with snow and frozen shut. The biggest snows are supposed to fall between now and 5:00 am, twice as much as we got already. We'll see if that happens.<br />
<br />
Update:<br />
<br />
Well we certainly got a lot of snow, and it's still snowing as of 10:40 am. Here's what my car looks like now:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zh67nffLAOk/URZuZw5fa0I/AAAAAAAAAKU/HyBAXw_PvAM/s1600/nemosatam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zh67nffLAOk/URZuZw5fa0I/AAAAAAAAAKU/HyBAXw_PvAM/s320/nemosatam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Fun times!<br /> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-13441548029506817142013-02-04T07:30:00.003-08:002013-02-08T08:55:41.795-08:00This Week's Jo Fletcher Books Giveaway: The City's Son by Tom Pollock!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Important notice:</b> I am still searching for one of my winners. The user known as Ally r won a copy of <i>Irenicon</i> by Aidan Harte!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This week's Jo Fletcher Books giveaway is a trade paperback copy of <b><i>The City's Son</i> by Tom Pollock! </b>I'm very excited about this one because my son loves it. But you don't have to believe him - look at this starred review from <i><b>Publisher's Weekly!</b></i><br />
<br />
*"<b>Glittering and gritty . . . Gorgeously written and brimming with
bizarre urban creatures, this darkly imagined and sometimes painful
tale should delight fans of Neil Gaiman, China Miéville, and Holly
Black."</b><br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8F5RvjsNBA/UQ_RlEjLd9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/p3HCFoLxVm8/s1600/City%27s_Son_JK+09-48-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8F5RvjsNBA/UQ_RlEjLd9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/p3HCFoLxVm8/s320/City%27s_Son_JK+09-48-19.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<i>Running away from her traitorous best friend and her distant father,
teenage graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for a new home. What she
finds is Filius, the ragged crown prince of London’s underworld—a place
where glassy spiders steal voices on telephone wires, railwraiths
terrorize the train tubes, and deadly scaffwolves stalk the shadows.</i><br />
<br />
<i> </i><i>Reach,
the malign god of demolition, is on a rampage, destroying the creatures
of hidden London to lay claim to the skyscraper throne. Caught up in
helping Filius raise an alleyway army to battle Reach, Beth soon forgets
her old life. But when the enemy claims her best friend, Beth must
choose between the acceptance she finds in the streets and the life she
left behind.</i><br />
<br />
I think Skyscraper Throne is a great name for a series. There are lots of fantastical thrones out there, from my own Petal Throne to George R R Martin's Iron Throne. So I have an idea. <b>Name your own fantasy/SF throne to enter this contest.</b><br />
<br />
On Friday I will pull out one of my many-sided dice and roll up a winner. The winner will email his/her/hir address (I hope) to Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com and shortly thereafter receive his/her/hir copy.<br />
<br />
Good luck!<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
This contest has now ended. We had some great throne ideas! The winner is Johann Pollard! Congratulations! Please sending your snail mail info to mazarkis (dot) williams (at) gmail (dot) com! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-53055698446153040422013-01-28T09:18:00.001-08:002013-02-01T09:29:41.213-08:00Next JFB Giveaway: Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Congratulations to Archaism, the winner of Mage's Blood! He will be receiving his free book soon. Previous winners:<br />
<br />
Ally r (Irenicon)<br />
<br />
Emmanuel Sanya (The Pilgrims)<br />
<br />
Congratulations! Ally and Emmanuel, please send your mailing info to
Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com for your free copies.<br />
<br />
Today's giveaway is Blood's Pride by Evie Manieri!<br />
<br />
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<br />
This book has not been released yet in the United States! Americans, jump on this and get a first look + the British cover!<br />
<br />
<i>Rising from their sea-torn ships like vengeful, pale phantoms, the Norlanders laid waste to the Shadar under cover of darkness. They forced the once-peaceful fisher folk into slavery and forged an alliance with their former trading partners, the desert-dwelling Nomas tribe, cutting off any hope of salvation.<br /><br />Now, two decades after the invasion, a rebellion gathers strength in the dark corridors of the city. A small faction of Shadari have hired the Mongrel, an infamous mercenary, to aid their fledgling uprising--but with her own shadowy ties to the region, she is a frighteningly volatile ally. Has she really come to lead a revolution, or for a more sinister purpose all her own?</i><br />
<br />
This book features a desert-dwelling peoples named the Nomas. To win a copy of Blood's Pride, please name another desert culture from a sci fi or fantasy book. On Friday I will roll a die and randomly pick a winner! Good luck!<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
This giveaway has ended. The winner is Periklis Begzos. Congratulations! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-51535555291067093742013-01-21T07:23:00.004-08:002013-01-25T08:15:25.532-08:00Next JFB Giveaway: Mage's Blood by David Hair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Important Note before We Begin!</b><br />
<br />
<b>Our previous winners are:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ally r (Irenicon)</b><br />
<br />
<b>Emmanuel Sanya (The Pilgrims)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Congratulations! Ally and Emmanuel, please send your mailing info to Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com for your free copies.</b> <br />
<br />
Clearly I need a better way to contact my winners.<br />
<br />
On to business. Today's giveaway is Mage's Blood by David Hair!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>Most of the time the Moontide Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every
12 years the tides sink and the bridge is revealed, its gates open for
trade. The Magi are hell-bent on ruling this new world, and for the last
two Moontides they have led armies across the bridge on 'crusades' of
conquest. Now the third Moontide is almost here and, this time, the
people of the East are ready for a fight ... but it is three seemingly
ordinary people that will decide the fate of the world.</i><br />
<br />
That was pretty short, so I'll add some reviews. I see Amazon smunched his reviews together into one paragraph as they did to me. I separated them here for easier reading:<br />
<i> </i><br />
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper">
'The writing is crisp, the characters full of vigour and desires
which when they become banded together really gives the story something
to focus upon as the bonds grow stronger' Falcata Times. </div>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper">
</div>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper">
'This is one of
those books that is so epic, that gets you so involved and is such an
investment in time and emotion, that there is a little sting of regret
that the ending had to come at all and you immediately want to go back
to the beginning and see how much riper it is second time around'
British Fantasy Society. </div>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper">
</div>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper">
'This book has the best parts of the epic
fantasy genre and adding to that also has a conflict that promises to be
epic' Fantasy Book Critic.
</div>
<i> </i><br />
<br />
So you want this book, right? Respond below with a cool name for a bridge ("Moontide" and "Bridge of Despair" are already taken), and I will enter you into the contest. Friday I will announce the winner so stay tuned!<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
This contest is now closed. The winner is archaism! Archaism, please send your mailing info (see instructions above). </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-76942421301229378312013-01-11T10:20:00.003-08:002013-01-25T08:16:29.502-08:00Giveaway: The Pilgrims<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week's Jo Fletcher Books giveaway is <i>The Pilgrims</i> (paperback) by Will Elliott.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sxf8ASUBCJw/UPBVyjrSYyI/AAAAAAAAAIc/HwCYEjKQixE/s1600/Pilgrims_MMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sxf8ASUBCJw/UPBVyjrSYyI/AAAAAAAAAIc/HwCYEjKQixE/s320/Pilgrims_MMP.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's the copy:<br />
<br />
<i>Eric Albright, a twenty-six-year-old unemployed journalist, and Stuart
Casey, a homeless old drunk, fall through a door in a graffiti-covered
wall into the strange world of Levall, where a mountain-sized dragon
with the powers of a god lies sleeping beneath a great white castle.
Here they are the otherworlders, Pilgrims, and their lives are never
going to be the same again. </i><br />
<br />
<i>In the castle the sinister Lord Vous rules with an iron fist as the
Project, designed to effect his transformation into an immortal spirit,
nears completion. But Vous' growing madness is close to consuming him,
as is his fear of the imaginary being named 'Shadow'. And the arrival of
the otherworlders in Levall is about to lend substance to that fear. </i><br />
<br />
<i>No one has ever seen what lies beyond the impossibly vast Wall that
divides Levall, but the Pilgrims possess powers strong enough to break
it down. If they do, what will enter from the other side?
Will Elliott's brilliantly subversive and creative imagination twists
the conventions of the genre to create an unforgettable alternate-world
fantasy.</i><br />
<br />
Same deal as last week: You have seven days to comment on this blog and be entered into the contest. This time let's make it a bit more interesting - tell me what you think happens after the events in the copy (e.g., "the dragon eats them"). <br />
<br />
Next Friday I will roll my die (whichever kind is appropriate - I have many) and choose a winner. If you win, you will send your mailing info to me at Mazarkis (dot) Williams (at) gmail (dot) com. But I won't send the book - the amazing Nicola Budd over at JFB will do that much faster than I ever could.<i> </i>Approximately one week later you will have your<i> Pilgrims </i>paperback!<br />
<br />
Good luck.<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
This contest is now closed. The winner is Emmanuel Sanya. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-37010413289666903842013-01-10T13:52:00.000-08:002013-01-10T13:58:05.477-08:00A (hooded) man of many covers...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqvGsz9_4Vk/UO85X2x9LuI/AAAAAAAAAIM/Fs_rE8fOxRk/s1600/covers4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bqvGsz9_4Vk/UO85X2x9LuI/AAAAAAAAAIM/Fs_rE8fOxRk/s640/covers4.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
He was Mark Charan Newton's hooded man first on <b>The Book of Transformations</b>, he turned left and suddenly found himself striding the Cerana sands bearing <b>The Emperor's Knife</b> on my cover. With an about turn to the right he menaced the world from Saladin Ahmed's <b>Throne of the Crescent Moon</b> and found himself talking in Polish. A beat later and the man's spouting fluent Spanish from Robin Hobb's excellent <b>Assassin's Apprentice</b>.<br />
<br />
Who is this <strike>masked</strike> hooded man? Where will he turn up next? Where else has he been already?<br />
<br />
Putting to one side the issue of this stock-character-of-easy-virtue I hope that the fact four such varied and fine (though I say it myself) novels lurk behind his menace is a fact that puts fresh shine on the well-worn directive never to judge a book by its cover.<br />
<br />
I'm offering a prize of arguably huge value (call it a bounty) to the first person to spot our man in action on any other covers, and a prize of immeasurably less value to anyone who finds an example of cover re-use involving 5 or more covers!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-28438971802810744432013-01-07T07:52:00.005-08:002013-01-07T07:52:58.764-08:00News and Events<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey there,<br />
<br />
Teresa Frohock has the results of her gender-bending experiment posted <a href="http://teresafrohock.com/blog/2013/1/7/gender-bending-the-big-reveal.html">on her blog</a>. The results, it turns out, are what you would expect from random guessing. Her experiment suggests that one cannot tell from prose whether the writer was a man or a woman. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile I have a guest post over at <a href="http://aidanmoher.com/blog/2013/01/articles/male-female-or-otherwise-by-mazarkis-williams-2/">A Dribble of Ink</a>, in which I discuss publishing with an unknown gender. <br />
<br />
Don't forget to enter the <a href="http://mazarkis.blogspot.com/2013/01/irenicon-giveaway.html">competition for a copy of Irenicon</a>.<br />
<br />
Finally, I forgot to show off what my sister made me for Christmas:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF7xQmC9GXU/UOru7QoCARI/AAAAAAAAAHc/AsQluQHycRY/s1600/TEKTshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PF7xQmC9GXU/UOru7QoCARI/AAAAAAAAAHc/AsQluQHycRY/s320/TEKTshirt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's a t-shirt! Jealous? I'm afraid to wear it.<br />
<br />
Next blog post: fantasy book covers, or more specifically, why does the man who appears on TEK keep wandering around other peoples' covers?<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-56342625332294330132013-01-04T08:04:00.002-08:002013-01-11T07:23:46.074-08:00Irenicon Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Get ready, for we Jo Fletcher authors are going to be giving away each others' books! This week I will be giving away Irenicon by Aidan Harte.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LwhqUbyleYQ/UOb9FKAxgkI/AAAAAAAAAHM/QvSNY4sIY68/s1600/Irenicon_JK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LwhqUbyleYQ/UOb9FKAxgkI/AAAAAAAAAHM/QvSNY4sIY68/s320/Irenicon_JK.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>The river Irenicon was blasted through the middle of Rasenna in 1347 and
now it is a permanent reminder to the feuding factions that nothing can
stand in the way of the Concordian Empire. The artificial river,
created overnight by Concordian engineers using the Wave, runs uphill.
But the Wave is both weapon and mystery; not even the Concordians know
how the river became conscious - and hostile. But times are changing.
Concordian engineer Captain Giovanni is ordered to bridge the Irenicon -
not to reunite the sundered city, but to aid Concord's mighty armies,
for the engineers have their sights set firmly on world domination and
Rasenna is in their way. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Sofia Scaglieri will soon be seventeen, when
she will become Contessa of Rasenna, but her inheritance is tainted: she
can see no way of stopping the ancient culture of vendetta which
divides her city. What she can't understand is why Giovanni is trying so
hard to stop the feuding, or why he is prepared to risk his life, not
just with her people, but also with the lethal water spirits - the buio -
that infest the Irenicon. Times are changing. And only the young
Contessa and the enemy engineer Giovanni understand they have to change
too, if they are to survive the coming devastation - for Concord is
about to unleash the Wave again...</i><br />
<br />
Just add your comment below, and when the week is up, I will roll a d6 or d20 or d100 (whatever's appropriate) and there will be a winner! (Books will efficiently be mailed by Nicola Budd of Jo Fletcher Books, instead of inefficiently by me.<i>)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Good luck!<br />
<br />
UPDATE This contest is now closed. Rolling . . . <br />
<br />
The winner is ally r! Please send mailing info to mazarkis (dot) williams (at) gmail (dot) com. Congratulations! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-60089599772008581972013-01-04T07:05:00.003-08:002013-01-04T07:05:25.655-08:00Quick Observations Regarding the Gender Bending Contest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Monday I'll be posting a longer blog regarding Teresa Frohock's <a href="http://teresafrohock.com/blog/2012/12/19/gender-bending-along-with-a-contest.html">amazing guess-the-gender contest</a>, but for now, I just want to jot down what I've observed so far. As you might know, the contest involves guessing whether a man or a woman wrote the excerpt or short in question. Ten pieces went up and hundreds of guesses were made.<br />
<br />
Some who guessed male or female then offered a reason why. Though some went off into the realm of the weird, and some were just gaming it (figuring that if more male authors were participating, they'd be more likely to win by guessing male), on the whole the guessers were helpful and insightful. I sorted the reasons into eight general categories.<br />
<br />
<b>Treatment of Emotions.</b> The people who mentioned emotions almost always indicated their belief that a female author was more likely to focus on them. Were they right? We'll know on Monday. (Maybe.)<br />
<br />
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Examples: </div>
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<br /></div>
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“I'm gonna go with male because it sounds like it's written
with a male voice. In particular, there is a terrible situation that arises,
but there isn't any kind of embellishment and instead leaves the emotions up to
the reader instead of describing what the characters are feeling.”</div>
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“. . . A lady. As for [t]he why, the focus is strongly on
the emotions.”</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>External rather than Internal Truths, Conflicts, or Solutions.</b> These guessers assumed a male would focus on external things while a female would go internal.<br />
<br />
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“Well, like everyone else this story threw me for a loop.
But really, the emotion that should be there, isn't and this avoiding of
internal truth and rather find an external truth for an internal problem seems
much more in line with male writing ...”</div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Guessers' Prior Experience with Reading Male or Female Authors</b> For these commenters, if the writing sounded to them like male or female authors they had read before, they went with that. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Example:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The passage was confident and well paced and seemed to have
a really strong idea of its main character. While that could apply to either
gender, a female author is the gender more closely attuned to that description.”</div>
<br />
<b>Perceptions of How Characters' Genders were Depicted</b> Both males and females noticed what they thought were uncharacteristic gender behaviors in the stories, and thus assumed the writer to be the opposite sex from the character - or else they perceived an accurate depiction and assumed a same-sex writer. I had a few problems with that, but fair enough. I learned a few things. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Examples:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I feel like this [writer]
is female. I don't typically envision men shrieking as most aren't really
capable of hitting registers that high. They'll yell and bellow and harumph and
grump and gruff and complain... Shrieking just isn't a thing they really do,
and bigger guys . . . are even less likely to be capable of that. Guys can get
hysterical, don't get me wrong, we just typically don't shriek when we do.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Male... Basing this on the nature of [the main character’s]
priorities . . . He is task-focused in a way that is difficult for women to
effectively imitate in my experience. It might just be someone who's really,
really good at writing men, but my gut says it's natural.”</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Language</b> I found this interesting. Many guessers picked a gender based on a simile or aphorism in the text. Sometimes it came down to a single word they believed would not have been used by a male or female. Was it risky to guess based on a single word? I can't wait to find out.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Examples:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I feel like this was a female mostly from a bit of the
commentary, and in particular the phrase, "Oh, how delightful!" I am
far from being well-read, and even further when it concerns plain old romance,
but I could not help but be reminded of Jane Austen when I was reading this.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The phrase, "He
was a mean-ass bastard," just doesn't sound like something a guy would
say.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tough call, but male, because I've never read a female
writer who says characters cross their arms over their breasts, or under them,
or in any other way relating to their breasts. They just cross their arms.”</div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Themes </b>Going from interesting to fascinating in the comments. Coming-of-age stories: feminine. Tech: masculine. Hierarchies: masculine. Vengeance: masculine. Challenging societal roles: feminine. Truth, power, self determination: masculine.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Examples:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Male, I'd guess, since the kneeling and hierarchy seemed
tinged with a man's romanticism.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Strongly think male. For one thing, I hardly ever find
female authors writing lesbian characters, but encountered plenty of men who
do. I also think the themes of truth, power, control and self-determination are
more typically male - modern male, specifically.”</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Use of Description</b> Readers tended to look carefully at description, noting what kinds of things the writer mentioned. Lots of detail caused readers to guess female, as did descriptions of clothing. (I think they might have forgotten Myke Cole, who as a military man might notice a spiffy uniform and such.) Finally, many commented that men would focus more on visuals while women would go for additional senses such as smell.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Examples:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The first few images are not visual, but rather involve
smell, taste, and touch. There is far less visual imagery overall than that of
other senses.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
“Female. Too much attention to clothes.”<br />
<br />
“Female. . . . Particularly the
things the author chose to describe. Men and women notice different things. I
really do not think the cleanliness of the man's uniform would have ranked so
highly to a male author.”<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Finally, the Genre</b> A few people guessed based on genre (romance, YA, sci fi, etc.)<br />
<br />
Examples: (None. This blog post is getting too long for what I meant to be a few quick observations.)<br />
<br />
Well that's it for now. Monday will bring some interesting revelations (though I am one of the authors, I know only who wrote three of the pieces, including my own).<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-19487514409675276432012-12-13T09:15:00.003-08:002012-12-13T09:15:47.721-08:00On Kings & Queens in Fantasy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It appears I wrote this months ago, and neglected to post it.<br />
<br />
+++ <br />
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Of course I like to see kings and queens in stories. I grew
up reading about King Arthur and his knights, the Pevensie children in Narnia,
and Bartholomew of Didd. As a child I knew that a monarch could be very good or
very bad, and have overwhelming influence over the lives of subjects—this fit
with my childhood understanding of authority. Justice played an important role.
A bad king or queen must be shamed (as in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bartholomew
and the Oobleck</i>), or defeated (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Narnia),
</i>while good monarchs must undergo trials and maintain strength of character
(Arthur, Aragorn). Looking back now with more experience, that looks like
propaganda—or nostalgia for a world that never existed. Normally one aspiring
to autocracy sets out to kill the other contenders (as does Jorg in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Broken Empire</i> series by Mark Lawrence),
and justice is decided by the winner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And there
always remains the question: what next? So the most capable guy (or girl) has gained
the throne. What about twenty years later, when that person’s heir is a maniac,
or simply incompetent? I explored that question in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emperor’s Knife.</i> Young when their father died, and scarred by the
aftermath of his death, neither Beyon nor Sarmin is ready to rule. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Much of history shows autocracy to
be unpopular, typically leading to the formation of parliaments or other bodies
designed to share power with the throne. Perhaps such a body would have
preserved Cerana from Emperor Beyon’s greatest flaws. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
In fact democracy plays a strong
role in history—so why don’t more fantasy novels feature legislators (one thing
I liked about the recent <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Wars </i>movies)?
Perhaps that seems a bit boring, or too close to how we live now—not second
world-y enough. Maybe it’s just too complicated to write about a few dozen
ministers instead of one king or queen. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But then power in itself is a theme,
and it’s compelling to study those who grasp it, especially when done by the
likes of George R. R. Martin or Gene Wolfe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It brings us back to the question
of why readers enjoy fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some like
to read about historical combat or complicated magic systems. Some like the
challenges faced by characters in the genre—betrayal, grief, trauma, self-doubt.
Few people say they are interested in fantasy governments, and when faced with
an issue in which the reader has no interest, simplicity is best.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But why did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> explore autocracy? To remind myself that we got it right—that
democracy works best? History has already provided that answer. Maybe I, too,
suffer from a strange nostalgia for a non-existent past. Living under the
control of a powerful monarch, with limited choices, sounds a lot like
childhood. There’s a certain comfort to having decisions made for you—but it’s
the sort of comfort one must put aside. The coming-of-age nature of many fantasy
stories might lend itself to worlds with absolute rulers—where to bypass or
overcome the ruler/parent is to come into one’s own—to grow up. There’s a
satisfying mythological feel to that.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> fantasy full of kings and queens? All of the above answers are
possible given the author and the story in question. Still, it’s always
interesting to read a fantasy book with a different setup. For example, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miserere</i> by Teresa Frohock shows us a
world (or Woerld) ruled by religious councils, while Courtney Schafer writes
about <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a city under the control of mages
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Whitefire Crossing</i>. Personally
I think it would be interesting to use elements from the governments of 15<sup>th</sup>-century
Florence or Venice (likely, someone already has). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So fantasy authors are not stuck with kings
and queens—it’s just a habit, and not an awful one.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-29603515012439635562012-12-06T12:47:00.000-08:002012-12-06T12:47:10.419-08:00Coffee Makers and Why Reviews Are Important<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Like many authors I suspect I spend a little too much time
wondering why some people don’t like my story. I’ll get five people who loved
it and one who didn’t, and I’ll focus on the one – not just out of hurt pride
but also curiosity. How can one reviewer say the characters are their favorite
part of a story, and another reviewer say they were cardboard cut-outs? It’s
confusing, but at the same time, every reviewer is correct. I can’t argue their
enjoyment of a book, or lack thereof, is mistaken. They felt what they felt. It’s
their own subjective experience which nobody can gainsay.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What brings this to my mind? Well, I’ve been shopping for an
automatic drip coffee maker for months. It has taken me this long to make my
decision because a $100 coffee maker is, by necessity, something I’ll have to
live with for a long time. So while my current coffee maker - finally undone by
the city’s hard water - was leaking all over the counter top, I googled and
read review after review. </div>
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<br /></div>
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For us caffeine addicts, the coffee experience is so personal
and intense that a betrayal of our hopes is disastrous. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Too hot! Not hot enough! I had to wait too long</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for my morning cup!</i> Drinkers lash out in
their frustration. For every five good comments on a coffee maker, there is at
least one that swears it is the worst on the market. We want the coffee we are
expecting to have, at just the right boldness and temperature. The problem is
we’re all expecting a different cup of coffee. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes reviews tell you more about people than about the
product. Five people complain about the loud steam or the heat of a brew, until
one man rates the maker five stars and writes, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let me explain to some of you how a coffee
maker works . . .” – it’s all WAI (working as intended) – features, not bugs. Some
complain about overflow issues; other posters insinuate they don’t know how to
operate a coffee maker. For each person with a complaint, there is someone else
who will say, “If you don’t like this as much as I do, there is something wrong
with you.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ultimately I purchased the same brand of coffee maker I
already had.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why did I read the reviews? Because though it’s
impossible I wanted to be sure – that first taste of coffee in the morning is
important to me too. Because it’s a form of sharing with these coffee drinkers
who have posted their opinions in the hopes of helping others. My community of fellow
addicts. And one thing the reviews <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> do is reveal trends. Though we might not be looking for the
same cup of coffee, if seven out of ten people say the coffee took a long time
to brew, maybe I should think about that feature and decide how important it is
to me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re wondering if I spend a lot of time reading book
reviews as well as coffee maker reviews – yes I do. Along with most people who
purchase books, I tend to look for the same authors again and again. We know we
like their writing. We know what to expect. We trust them – like Cuisinart over
a newer, unknown brand. But I read reviews in the hopes of adding to my roster
of guaranteed good reads. I notice some reviewers will focus on the magic
systems, while others like the worldbuilding or characters. Some prefer non-stop
action while others do not. As with the coffee makers, the trick is sorting out
what’s important to me while I’m reading.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the question arises, how does a newer author break in,
become the Mr. Coffee or the Krupps of fantasy? Right now it seems I’m with the
French-press crowd, the people who take a few extra steps, and I’m happy about
that. But the unfortunate fact of publishing is that those who do not sell really
well, might not sell at all next time. Publishers, like readers, want to be
sure when they opt for a book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week when I was looking for books for my children, I
defaulted to the “Amazon top 100.” Then I realized what I was doing. That’s
hardly taking a few extra steps. I didn’t see a lot of writers <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I </i>like to read on that list. So what did
I do? I went to Ranting Dragon. I went to Staffer’s Musings. I ferreted out some
good stuff. And unlike my coffee-making experience, it was all new stuff.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve come out of it with an even more positive attitude
towards reviews, even the negative ones. If someone hated my book because there’s
“too much sex” (really, at least one person said that), another person might
think, “I love sex! I’ll pick that one up!” (and be disappointed). But
seriously, in this community of readers and writers, in which many of us are
both, reviews are a way of sharing our love for the written word, for secondary
worlds, and for everything else that goes with SFF. Even with the
contradictions from review to review, the attention paid to things we might not
care about, and the people who say, “if you don’t agree, there is something
wrong with you,” reviews still work. They help us sort out what’s important to
us in a book – and we might be surprised to learn what we’re looking for,
whether it’s the same old thing as before or something completely new. I’m all
for that. </div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-18398140163720856702012-11-29T11:34:00.002-08:002012-11-29T11:34:37.973-08:00The Next Big Thing - The Tower Broken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So the Next Big Thing is a chain blog. One of us answers ten questions then 'tags' five more authors to do the same one week later. I was tagged by <a href="http://elspethcooper.com/blog/blog">Elspeth Cooper</a>. I haven't tagged anybody yet. I plan to put a lot more effort into that very soon.<br />
<br />
OK so here are the ten questions!<br />
<br />
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1) What is the working title of your <span class="il">next</span>
book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The working title is The Tower Broken, Book Three of the
Tower and Knife trilogy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For this particular book, the ideas flow naturally from the
first two. But the idea for the first book, The Emperor’s Knife, came from a
reading of history. A prince of the Ottoman empire had been locked away for
many years and brought out again when his heir-less brother passed away. He had
been driven mad by his isolation, and eventually was murdered by his courtiers.
Sarmin’s story is a bit different.</div>
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<br />
3) What genre does your book fall under?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s fantasy. Some call it “historical fantasy” which I
consider to be an oxymoron – if it’s fantasy, it’s not historical. And while my
society has some surface-y similarities to the Ottoman empire, it is not really
based on any historical society or period. I would call it “adult fantasy,” but
I think that implies something I do not intend . . .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie
rendition?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s not something I’ve really thought about. Most of the
people in the story are multiracial so that’s a requirement. Also, Sarmin is
supposed to look thin and sickly, while Mesema is supposed to look smarter than
she does pretty. I don’t think movie casting would really do them right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the third book, the synopsis would be: “Cerana faces down
its historical enemy while a greater threat creeps through the desert towards the
capitol city of Nooria.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I am represented by Ian Drury of Sheil Land Associates
(London). The book will be published by Jo Fletcher Books in London and Night
Shade Books in San Francisco.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first book took about six years. The second, a little
less than one year. This one, a lot less than one year.</div>
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8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</div>
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<br /></div>
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It has been compared to Sanderson, but I don’t agree with
that. For people in terrible and desperate circumstances who want to do the right
thing, I would compare it to Durham’s Acacia trilogy (though I found the first
one so heartbreaking I haven’t continued on to book 2 yet). Mine is not as sweeping and epic as his, but I think the royal family and the tragic events compare.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Competition. Mark Lawrence and I started sending emails back
and forth, trying to outwrite each other. After a few days it was clear that
characters and a story were emerging.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a fantasy in a non-Western setting with strong
characters and a massive, world-ending threat. I’ve put as much richness and
excitement into it as I could manage. I hope people enjoy it.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-31000710021411842722012-11-14T09:13:00.000-08:002012-11-14T09:13:00.829-08:00Some News and an Invitation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First blog post in a while! I have some news to share, the
first of which being that <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knife-sworn-mazarkis-williams/1109129970?ean=9781597803861">Knife
Sworn</a> is officially available. While <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-emperors-knife-mazarkis-williams/1104403249?ean=9781597804028">The
Emperor’s Knife</a> dealt with the intense, overpowering desires of the
characters <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– whether for power, love, or
human contact – the second book in the Tower & Knife series carries a theme
of isolation and loss. Those who had been part of the Many feel lost and alone
in a harsh world, and each person Helmar left behind in the palace pursues a
lonely quest for safety.<br />
<br />
One note: it appears B&N and Amazon are a bit slow getting the eBook up and available in the US. In the meantime it is <a href="http://www.baenebooks.com/p-1759-knife-sworn.aspx">available from Baen</a>. Only $6, much cheaper than the hardback!</div>
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Second bit of news: This Friday at 9pm EST/8pm CST I will be
participating in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Fantasy Reddit. <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wtjev/we_are_2011_debut_novelists_t_frohock_m_williams/">The
last time I was on Reddit</a> was for the <a href="http://www.staffersbookreview.com/2012/07/debut-authorpalooza-2012.html">Debut
Authorpalooza</a> (organized by Justin Landon at Staffer’s Musings). I was
there with Teresa Frohock, Mark Lawrence, Courtney Schafer, Kameron Hurley,
Bradley Beaulieu, Doug Hulick, Anne Lyle, Stina Leicht, and Elspeth Cooper! It
was huge and intimidating and great fun. This time it’s me alone, but I’ll try
to be entertaining. Please feel free to go there on Friday and ask a question (though the AMA is in the evening, it should be open for questions during the day).</div>
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After that I’m participating in Next Big Thing, an author’s round robin. Each of us answers ten questions on our blog and tags five other authors. My ten answers will appear November 28th. The author who tagged me – <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8766795677685297358" ref="http://elspethcooper.com/blog/">Elspeth Cooper</a> – will be answering her questions on November 21st. I will be reminding everyone!<br />
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That’s it for now! Hopefully I will see some of you on
Friday.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-43343738292902786642012-09-05T11:25:00.001-07:002012-09-05T11:27:42.056-07:00On Writing under a Pseudonym<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
That 'Mazarkis Williams' is not actually my name has been on my mind a bit since Worldcon. Many people asked me - some angry, some just curious - why I write under a pseudonym. Well it wasn't my choice, but it was necessary. The story is long and weird, and even when face to face I can't tell all of it, so I hedge. My agent once said, "Let me be the bad guy." But when I am standing in front of someone I like and they really want to know, I can't say, "ask my agent." Instead I apologize and bluster.<br />
<br />
What's worse is that letting anyone in on the secret is putting them, in turn, on the spot. They don't know who they can and cannot tell. They end up having to hedge themselves. Having been raised in the polite midwest by a British person, I am doubly hesitant to create awkward situations. It makes me feel terrible.<br />
<br />
Overall the pseudonym has not worked for me personally. Anyone who is considering a pseudonym and a mysterious identity should know that it makes it difficult to associate with other authors, who are the people who drive up when your shoes are worn out and you are stumbling along the side of the metaphorical road. It makes it impossible to network, and to market your book outside of the internet. On top of that you must be comfortable with a certain level of deceit, which I am not.<br />
<br />
But do I regret it? Well that would mean I regretted being published. No, the pseudonym is what I have - it's part of the deal, part of Tower & Knife itself. I can live with it for one more year, when, Jo Fletcher promises, everything will be revealed. See you then. For real.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-60669214278254533752012-09-04T08:16:00.001-07:002012-09-04T08:17:48.102-07:00Chicon Days 4 & 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sunday was difficult for me. I would rather have spent the day wrapped up in my hotel bed sparing the world from myself, or myself from the world - either one - than continue with the Con. I dragged myself around anyway, though I was not of much use. What a surprise when I learned at dinner that my mood was not unusual. Each of us sitting there holding pizza was relieved to hear that others experience that same brief, but intense, depression at conferences.<br />
<br />
But let's get one with the good stuff. <br />
<br />
I attended a reading by Rachel Swirsky. On the internet you can't tell how funny and charming she is. She rocked the room with her story and I'm glad I went. I'm sad that I did not introduce myself because of my aforementioned mental state.<br />
<br />
Later I went to a panel on religion in SF literature. Let me say here that Teresa Frohock, in case you don't know, is really, really smart. I enjoyed all of her panels. This particular one discussed how to make religions believable in stories and a concrete part of the world you have created. We were reminded that faith is part of a practitioner's daily life, part of their psyche, and that if you don't capture that, it can be a bit thin. <br />
<br />
I didn't attend the Hugos, choosing instead to put on my pajamas and watch the Ustream which, ouch, got shut down. "Watched" the rest of the award ceremony on twitter. Even as such a remove I felt part of something. I began to realize that the long, storied tradition of SF and Fantasy is bigger than one conference or one generation of writers. It was inspiring.<br />
<br />
I got to look at and fondle some great books. Look out for <i>Tainted City</i>, Courtney Schafer's sequel to <i>The Whitefire Crossing</i>; E. J. Swift's <i>Osiris;</i> Betsy Dornbusch's <i>Exile</i> (forthcoming); <i>Spin the Sky</i> by Katy Stauber; and Bradley Beaulieu's second in The Lays of Anuskaya, <i>The Straits of Galahesh. </i>And then of course all the other great books by the other fantastic writers of Night Shade Books (Martha Wells, Kameron Hurley, Jeff Salyards, etc. etc. there is no end to it! BUY BOOKS!).<br />
<br />
Tomorrow: on living under a psuedonym. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-8479098657643793942012-09-02T15:18:00.001-07:002012-09-02T15:18:17.292-07:00Chicon Day 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Saturday started out early with a panel on men writing female characters and ended late at night with Anne Lyle and a discussion about gender and sexuality. It really seems to be the theme of the con for me.<br />
<br />
Much of what happened yesterday already seems like a blur, but here are some highlights. I got to meet Carol Berg a second time. There was a great panel on character building. I found out the red line was under construction but nevertheless got to the north side for a fantastic dinner with a friend, who just happens to teach writing.<br />
<br />
The con has been great for studying the elements of a novel in ways that help writers think about our own process and our own assumptions. Eventually, working all of this out will bring about stronger, better work. I refer to worldbuilding, plotting, characters, the presentation of gender and sexuality, and pacing. To any writer who is trying to decide whether to attend a con, I recommend it - even if you are shy like myself,<br />
<br />
More thoughts tomorrow. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-66003899307350525542012-09-01T08:56:00.002-07:002012-09-01T09:12:05.808-07:00Chicon Day 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Started my second day full-steam by going to three panels in a row. My advice to other newbies is to avoid doing this. You need time, after a good panel, to process, and anyway the seats are uncomfortable. Don't sit still in them for four and half hours as I did. This morning, I turned around and ran out of a panel, even though it had Carol Berg in it, for that very reason.<br />
<br />
The first panel I attended on was gender in SF literature, and all other panels that day seemed to echo all that I had heard at 9 am (even the one I attended this morning, "Men Writing Women," addressed some of the same issues).<br />
<br />
The thing is that you can't talk about gender without addressing the society that constructs the gender. Cultures set up the expectations, the restrictions, and the consequences for deviation. When worldbuilding it is important to take this into account. I came away from the panel with a list of authors that address gender successfully (will post it later, if I can read my own handwriting).<br />
<br />
So when we talk about "feminine" traits and "masculine" traits we are, in some ways, talking more about our culture than we are about the character or the individual. Among sensible authors the consensus seems to be that writing successfully means writing about human beings and not necessarily their genders. This also applies to 'strong female characters': human first, gender second.<br />
<br />
After panel fatigue came setup for the Night Shade Party, or rather, waiting around to begin the setup for the Night Shade Party (housekeeping had to come and fiddle with things before we could begin). In the end I didn't help at all - it seems most of the work fell to Bradley Beaulieu (sorry!). Had dinner with Teresa Frohock and E.J. Swift (<i>Osiris</i>), got dressed and returned for the bug-eating party (eat a bug, get a free book), which was a great success. I finally met Jeremy Lassen who was wearing a most impressive bright orange suit, and many others, too numerous and show-offy to list.<br />
<br />
All in all it was a great day. Today there will be fewer panels and more drinking, I expect. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-80039590743791089182012-08-31T05:32:00.001-07:002012-08-31T05:32:33.288-07:00My First Day at Chicon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Getting to the Hotel<br />
<br />
Having lived in Chicago I didn't think much about taking the train and finding my own way to the hotel, but I quickly realized lugging a bag full of books across seven city blocks was not the best idea I ever had. I arrived at the Hyatt sunburned and sweating and stood in lines for some time. Teresa Frohock of <i>Miserere </i>fame arrived and together we went over an overwhelming amount of program information while the hotel went from full to packed. At last room keys became available and there was somewhere to hide from the crowds.<br />
<br />
After a few hours my memories of walking under the hot sun faded to pleasant and I decided to do it again, taking a turn around the city looking for Treasure Island (a grocery store), and some vaguely healthy snacks. I dragged T. Frohock along with me, and luckily she loves walking circles in cities and has an amiable nature, because <i>"I know about where it is"</i> is a far cry from <i>"I can take you right to it."</i><br />
<br />
If you haven't met Teresa Frohock this is what you might not know: she is wicked smart and hilariously funny.<br />
<br />
Evening<br />
<br />
Courtney Schafer (<i>The Whitefire Crossing</i>) arrived with her brother Matt and friend Karen and I'm glad to have met all of them. Courtney is like a tiny ball of intense energy. Now I understand why she is in charge of things. Naturally the conversation turned to writing and the publishing biz. We talked about editing a book to its bones, working with schedules, and character-driven versus plot-driven stories.<br />
<br />
While standing around in the hotel entrance (not very politely, I realize in retrospect), we were approached by Anne Lyle (<i>The Alchemist of Souls</i>) who is not in the least bit shy and will be doing 10,000 panels from what I can tell. From there we progressed to some actual seats and then, in an unexpected bit of luck, Courtney introduced us to Carol Berg who is a warm and engaging person. She talked to us about her own first Worldcon while I stood there like a teenager, not sure what to do with my hands. I mean, it was Carol Berg! I have every one of her books and you should, too.<br />
<br />
We ended in the bar talking about biscuits versus cookies and bills versus checks. Anne sang the praises of <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>, and it sounds as if I will be an adherent before long myself. Then it was time to return to my little room, which is not quite a peaceful room (any time anybody in the hotel turns on the water, it sounds as if someone is screaming).<br />
<br />
<br />
Now day 2 begins, and it's time to hit some panels. Hopefully I'll have some intelligent thoughts to post tomorrow morning.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8766795677685297358.post-40022694347217868752012-07-30T06:35:00.001-07:002012-07-30T06:38:34.179-07:00Many Things Being Done, and Other Things Beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During the last two weeks I had the pleasure to join nine of my fellow authors for a Debut Authorpalooza at <a href="http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Staffer's Book Reviews (and occasional musings)</a>. Bradley Beaulieu, Elspeth Cooper, Teresa Frohock, Doug Hulick, Kameron Hurley, Mark Lawrence, Stina Leicht, Anne Lyle, Courtney Schafer, and myself each wrote a guest rant and posted an excerpt from our next book. Justin Landon did an incredible job herding all of us, getting all the posts ready and setting up the giveaways.<br />
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<br />
Giveaways? you might ask. Yes! There is still time to enter for a chance to win signed copies or even the grand prize. Check it out <a href="http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2012/07/end-of-debut-authorpalooza-and-grand.html">here.</a><br />
<br />
You can read Chapter One of Knifesworn <a href="http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2012/07/excerpt-from-knifesworn-by-mazarkis.html">here</a>. <br />
<br />
We also held a huge, ridiculous, mind-boggling <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/wtjev/we_are_2011_debut_novelists_t_frohock_m_williams/">AMA on reddit</a>. Thanks to Justin (again) and Steve Drew for their wrangling skills.</div>
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<br />
Also the revisions of the revisions of KNIFESWORN are nearly finished; soon you will hear me banging on about book three instead! I'm only a few months behind . . .</div>
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Finally, Night Shade Books has invited me to return as of the rotating authors on <a href="http://night-bazaar.com/">The Night Bazaar</a>, so you will see me posting my odd opinions there, at least for a while.</div>
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That's what's old and what's new for today. Have a good one.</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11434208987678485290noreply@blogger.com6