June 30, 2007

1. DON'T. DO. IT. Just…don't.

2. If you slam the door hard enough, you actually have to open it to get your fingers out.

3. You can be in so much pain that you can't make a noise, and thus your nine-year-old son, who is sitting in the back of the van–a mere two feet away–and wholly engrossed in The Goblet of Fire, is completely oblivious to the fact that you are trying hard not to vomit and/or faint as you sit on the edge of the open door.

4. The top segments of the first two fingers of your right hand–the miscreants that got in the way of that car door–won't stop throbbing for at least an hour and a half. And then they'll start to tingle in a horribly painful way for another thirty minutes after that. And then any time you bump them or brush against anything, a new shot of pain goes through you.

5. You'll likely lose the two black and purple nails of those digits. Just in time for a big writers conference you'll be attending in a couple of weeks.

6. The cut on one of them bleeds through your Band-Aid, so it gets on the first page of your manuscript (your vampire one, coincidentally enough) that has all the copyeditor's notes on it…the same one that already got wet because you left it in your car with the windows open during a horrible rainstorm…the same one that you have to send back to your publisher Monday. Wrinkled, crinkly, and smeared with blood. Just the impression you want to make.

7. As long as you're careful, you can actually type with those fingers, a fact which is quite a relief to someone who spends as much time at the keyboard as anyone who's reading this does. But you're thankful you're not a piano player or guitarist, because that much pressure would be agony.

8. In fact, you can't even open the snaps on your jeans or push down the button for the electronic window of your car with those fingers, which makes it not only awkward in the bathroom, but also a bit steamy in the car. And we won't even talk about trying to turn your vehicle's ignition, opening a bottle of water, or lather-rinse-repeating.

9. You're particularly glad that you're a southpaw when it's the right hand that's the handicap.

10. Crying to your mom (a nurse) about your injury magically helps even when you're 40, but kisses and loving from your three kids is even more miraculously healing.

June 29, 2007

For today's Readers Ask, MG Braden writes:

In Rises the Night it is clear, at least to me, that there are really two suitors for Victoria.  I switched between them a couple of times myself (ok, I'm being a bit vague because I don't want to give anything away to those who made not have read it yet).  What I want to know is…in future installments are we going to see Victoria still caught between the two or will there be an obvious choice made?  Or maybe someone new?  OR, as their creator, have you even decided yet? 

Thanks for the question, MG! And, yes, I have known from the beginning who Victoria's final choice will be, so hopefully, as future books are released, the readers will follow the path that Victoria does and understand why she picks who she picks.

What I won't tell you is whether you've already met Victoria's Mr. Right (buuuuut….you probably have.). However, by the end of the fourth book (which I'll be starting to write very soon), it should be obvious whom it will be. (It's my intent to write five books about Victoria. And then move on to a different Venator character.)

And here's one from Becky, that sort of follows along with the same topic:

If Victoria is the last direct decendent of the Gardella legacy then what will happen to the legacy since she's being told she can't have children due to the danger they would be in? 

Well, one thing readers don't know yet is that Victoria may not be the only Gardella left of the direct line. (She's actually not, but that fact hasn't come into play quite yet…and may not in Victoria's books.) And thus…yes, Victoria's probably going to have to come to some sort of decision as to whether she can/should worry about continuing the line. She starts to think about that in The Bleeding Dusk, in fact.

So….who's your pick for Victoria's Mr. Right? Or do you think we haven't met him yet? Feel free to weigh in in the comments, but be careful of spoilers (either warn about them, or stay vague).

(And if you have a question and want to be entered in a drawing to win an ARC of The Bleeding Dusk, click here to find out how!)

June 27, 2007

A Meghan. Any Meghan. Especially one who has a birthday in the next…say…month or so.

Especially a Meghan who has a birthday in the next month or so who likes vampire novels.

Or, preferably, historical vampire slayer novels. (Because, you know, vampires bite. And they deserve to be staked.)

…Let me know. 

See….I met a few friends for drinks, (Yeah, that's where the trouble started.)(Isn't that where it always does?) and a couple of them wanted to buy books, so of course, I had a few in my trunk (just call me the Promo Queen)

….and I had them all in a pile on the table and I was signing them…and I signed the wrong one to a young lady named Meghan. Who is having a birthday in the next month.

So I have a copy of Rises the Night signed to "Meghan–Happy Birthday!"

So, if anyone out there is (or knows a worthy) Meghan with a birthday coming up who would like a free copy of Rises the Night signed by an author who'd had two glasses of Bell's Oberon and wrote Happy Birthday on the wrong book…please let me know. Name and birthday please.

I'll pick one and let you know. If there's more than one. Otherwise…well, you know. The single, solitary Meghan-with-a-forthcoming-birthday will get it.

June 27, 2007

Took the kiddos to see Nancy Drew last night. 

I confess, when I first saw the theatrical trailer, I was appalled, to say the least. I couldn't believe what they'd done to Nancy Drew! My beloved yellow-spine-volumed, titian-haired sleuth!

(Slight digression here, because it still ticks me off: Trivial Pursuit [original edition] is wrong. Nancy Drew does not have blond hair. She hasn't since 1957. She has strawberry-blond, or titian, hair. And when that particular question cost me a Trivial Pursuit win back in college…well, let's just say I haven't ever forgotten it. Bitter is the word that comes to mind. Yes, bitter.) 

But now that I've seen the movie, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I really was!

As I explained to Music Man (who barely has a clue who Nancy is [except for his fond memories of Pamela Sue Martin and her Playboy spread], and certainly didn't know enough to back me up in that Trivial Pursuit game, to my great annoyance and his even greater regret), Nancy's about as wholesome as you can get. And so is this movie (except for the illegitimate baby subplot…but who knows–as far as we know, the baby's parents could have been secretly married). 

And I guess if Nancy were ever to come to life in the 21st century, she probably would be this perky, preppy, uber-organized, over-achieving young woman who doesn't have a clue about the important things (ie, that Ned is madly in love with her), but who can solve puzzles in a matter of weeks that adults haven't been able to crack for decades.

I say this with a wave of affection and hardly any snark, because, for all of her perfection, the Nancy in this movie is likeable and she doesn't condescend to anyone–even those who are mean or rude to her. Not a bad role model, I say.

So, anyway, I liked it. My nine year old son liked it, too, so for those of you with mixed-gender families, it's boy safe. And my two daughters loved it. It's a Disney-esque version of Nancy, with everything safe and happy at the end, a decent mystery that adults will solve more easily than the children, although the villain doesn't appear until well into the flick.

And there's a sort of weird Big Star Cameo in the middle of the movie–not exactly sure why they included it…but I guess it was to show that Nancy can even take over Hollywood if she wants to.

Oh, and this was cool: when Nancy goes online to check out the listing of movies that Dehlia Draycott (the actress at the center of the mystery) is in, when she gets to IMDB.com and scrolls through the list, if you watch carefully, you'll see that the movies are actually titles of Nancy Drew books. Nice touch, I thought. 

There's a Hidden Staircase, a Chinese box (for some reason that rings a bell), a Blackwood Hall type ghost, and a kidnapping–complete with whatever they used to put on a handkerchief over Nancy's face to knock her out (choloroform?)….and I'm sure there are other nods that I missed or don't remember. Oh, and Nancy's blue roadster.

Anyway, it's cute. Enjoy.

And while we're on the subject of movies: anyone recommend (or not) Oceans Thirteen? I loved the first, fell asleep in the second…so what's the verdict? 

June 26, 2007

The second night of our little trip culminated at cozy Chez Kessler, in a 'burb of Albany NY, after a successful signing at Flights of Fantasy bookstore in Loudonville. (Hi, Eleanor! *waves*)

Jackie Kessler, who's always encouraging me to "love my inner demon," not only chauffeured Music Man and myself (in the pouring rain!) around to a BBQ at the bookstore owner's house and then to the signing itself, but she also gave me the ability to sprout my own demonic horns! What a gal!

(You probably can't see the glitter and sequins on those lovely little horns in my bedhead hair, but they're there. Trés fashionable in the demonic world, or so I understand from Jackie, who apparently has a hotline to these things.) 

Anyway, so the signing at Flights of Fantasy got me to thinking about something that should have penetrated my brain some time ago–thanks to Fantasy readers like Carl V. and Chris, and others. (But I'm a little slow sometimes.)

What I learned from the people at FOF, and the discussions both before and after, is that many people consider my books Fantasy. Wow. What a revelation!

The thought never crossed my mind, because when I think of Fantasy writers, I think of Piers Anthony, David Eddings, Tolkien, Anne McCafferty, Frank Herbert, etc. It just never occurred to me that my books fall into that genre category.

But Jackie, who knows a lot more about these things than I do, apparently, has been calling my books Historical Fantasy–or, which I prefer, Historical Urban Fantasy. I like it! I really like it.

But that means that I need to put my "Fantasy Reader" hat on and try and find some ways to promote my books to them.

I've done a pretty good job hitting up the Paranormal Romance readers, because that's a market that I know…but the Fantasy world is a whole different realm to me. (Pun intended.)

So, I'm looking for blogs, forums, reviewers, conferences, etc., that might be interested in talking to someone who writes Historical Urban Fantasy…any suggestions/referrals/leads would be greatly appreciated. (Comment, or email me at author at colleengleason dot com).

Thanks. And if this post sounds a little choppy…well, it's because I had a whole one written and accidentally closed the window without saving it. So all the finesse was gone when I had to rewrite it!

And also…my friend Colette Gale is in a celebratory mood because she just finished her latest book and turned it in to her editor! So have one on her, and her dirty version of The Count of Monte Cristo, today! (Hmmm…you could even have a Monte Cristo sandwich with it, if you really wanted to get into the spirit.)

Okay, I'm done. Off to take the kiddos to the 'brary. Lots of overdue books. Sigh.