Earlier in the week, my author copies of Buffalito Contingency arrived.
It is a joyous thing to open up a case filled with a new book. Making it even better, Gej was on on hand to help.
You can pick up your own copy (albeit without Gej’s help) at the book launch, two weeks from today, at Lunacon
Author and anthology entrepreneur Nancy Fulda has an interview up with yours truly.
You can find it here: http://nancyfulda.livejournal.com/293384.html
Most of my life I’ve found that I’m good with six hours of sleep. I rarely feel the need for more, and in fact I’m not usually able to “sleep in” even when circumstances allow.
More and more frequently though, I am waking up in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes it’s because I need to pee. Sometimes because my wife has smacked me in her sleep. Sometimes the wind does it. Sometimes it’s a leg cramp. Sometimes someone in a dream taps me on the shoulder and tells me to wake up.
Whatever the reason though, that’s usually it. I’m awake. And when I try to return to sleep my mind fills with little details. Things I need to attend to at the DayJob that morning, or plot complications in a novel I’m writing, or logistical minutia in someone else’s fiction that I’m publishing, or health plans, or dog plans, or travel plans, or weird grammatical constructions in Klingon, or some damn thing or other.
The point is, I don’t fall back to sleep. I’m up, and that’s that, and too bad that it’s 4am. Up is up and that’s all there is.
Today was another such start to the day. Ugh. Not a good way to start the week, but there you go.
Lunacon is racing our way, now less than three weeks away.
One of the things that will be in the program book is a reprint of my story “Pidgin,” a short tale of an alien who wanders into a store in sunny Los Angeles hoping to buy some fruit. Except… it’s a hardware store.
I first read “Pidgin” aloud at a Lunacon some years back, and I’m very happy to see it return to the convention.
Artist GoH Rachael Mayo has done up a brand new drawing for it, which will also be included in the program book.
Here’s a sneak peak:
It’s been a crazy crazy kind of day, and I haven’t been able to check email or the web until just a little bit ago.
Imagine my delight to discover that author J. Kathleen Cheney has received a Nebula Award nomination for her novella “Iron Shoes” which was published in Alembical 2 from Paper Golem.
Valerie and I will be in attendance at the Nebula Award Weekend to cheer her on. Why don’t you all come too?
If there had been a bit more snow, if the storm had moved a tad further north, or if the snow had started later or lasted longer, I’d likely have the day off today.
But no, I’m on my way to the DayJob. Philadelphia seems to have gotten about 4.5 inches, and out where I live even less. The offices are open, and it’s back to the salt mines for me.
Meanwhile, here’s a photo of Gej to brighten your day.
I’m exhausted, but very very pleased. Valerie and I have just finished hosting the first ever IMP Workshop in our home here in scenic Blue Bell, PA.
Six authors (and one dog) gathered for a longish weekend, Friday evening through Monday morning, and managed a ton of writing work, and many fancy meals (courtesy of Valerie’s culinary skills).
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| Gregory Frost, Barbara Webb, Jason Musgrave, Amy Sundberg, Gej, Lawrence M. Schoen (not pictured: Oz Drummond) |
Stacey Helton McConnell, Vice-Chair of Lunacon 2011, recently shared this reminder:
Membership rates are currently $50, but will be going up on 2/20/2011 to the at-the-door price of $60.
As the GoH this year, I have an interest in seeing lots of people there so I don’t go down in history as the GoH that killed Lunacon.
So what are you waiting for? Go buy your membership. And while you’re at it, book a hotel room too.
