Posts Tagged ‘Writing’

And now for some pimping, shared universe style

No Comments » Written on April 14th, 2013 by
Categories: News
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As you know (and I’m talking to you, Bob), last year my story “Coca Xocolātl” appeared in the shared universe anthology ReDeus: Divine Tales. I had a lot of fun writing that story, so when the editors decided to do a second volume of future tales set after The Return, I promptly got in line.

That new book is entitled ReDeus: Beyond Borders, and it comes out next month. In the meantime, the fine folks at Crazy8 Press have invited the book’s contributors to yammer a bit, and yours truly is up first.

So now you can follow this link over to their site and read what I have to tell you about the continuing saga of Matlal Alejandro Garcia y Fuentes, professor emeritus and representative of the Aztec God Huehuecoyotl. But I warn you, as soon as you do, you’re going to want to buy the book!

My Final, I Promise, It’s The Last (unless it’s not) 2012 Worldcon Schedule

No Comments » Written on August 25th, 2012 by
Categories: News
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Just a couple additions to my previously posted schedule, specifically when you can find me sitting at the SFWA Table in the Dealers Room.

Wednesday, August 29th:
noon – 11:00 (Addams) Klingon Language for Newbies

Thursday, August 30th:
3:00 – 4:30 (Kaffeeklatsche 1) Kaffeeklatsche
4:30 – 6:00 (Autograph Tables) Autographing

Friday, August 31st
9:00 – 10:30 (Offsite ) Strolling with the Stars
noon – 1:30 (Grand Suite 3) Iron Chef: Flash Fiction (M)
1:30 – 3:00 (Wright ) “To Be” or Not “To Be”: Constructed Languages in SF&F
3:00 – 3:30 (Fan Lounge) Writer Under Glass #23
4:00 – 4:30 (Addams ) Reading

Saturday, September 1st
09:00 – 10:30 (Offsite ) Codex Breakfast
1:30 – 3:00 (Wrigley) How to Speak Klingon
3:30 – 5:00 (Dealers Room) Signing at the SFWA Table

Sunday, September 2nd
9:00 – 10:30 (Offsite) Strolling with the Stars
3:30 – 5:00 (Dealers Room) Volunteering at the SFWA Table
8:00 – 11:00 (Grand Ballroom) Hugo Awards

Monday, September 3rd
10:00 – noon (Sandburg) Writers’ Workshop -Section U
4:01 – next several days (offsite) Recovery Time – Enjoying the City of my Birth!

And again, I won’t be attending the SFWA Business Meeting because I’m running the Codex Breakfast which is at the same time.

Since I’ll be giving away copies of my new Amazing Conroy novella, “Barry’s Tale,” I decided that I should do something totally different during my read. Barry himself will still be present, and some lucky attendee will get a free buffalito plushie just for showing up, but I’m going to read from my recently published story “Coca Xocalatl” in the new ReDeus shared world anthology. Because, who doesn’t want to come and hear me mangle the names of half a dozen ancient Aztec gods?

Looking forward to seeing all of you (and yes, especially you!) in Chicago.

New and Improved 2012 Worldcon Schedule

No Comments » Written on August 15th, 2012 by
Categories: News
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This is probably my final schedule for Chicon. Of course, the moment I post this I’m jinxing myself and doubtless there’ll be a change, but you know what I mean.

Wednesday, August 29th:
noon – 11:00 (Addams) Klingon Language for Newbies

Thursday, August 30th:
3:00 – 4:30 (Kaffeeklatsche 1) Kaffeeklatsche
4:30 – 6:00 (Autograph Tables) Autographing

Friday, August 31st
9:00 – 10:30 (Offsite ) Strolling with the Stars
noon – 1:30 (Grand Suite 3) Iron Chef: Flash Fiction (M)
1:30 – 3:00 (Wright ) “To Be” or Not “To Be”: Constructed Languages in SF&F
3:00 – 3:30 (Fan Lounge) Writer Under Glass #23
4:00 – 4:30 (Addams ) Reading

Saturday, September 1st
09:00 – 10:30 (Offsite ) Codex Breakfast
1:30 – 3:00 (Wrigley) How to Speak Klingon

Sunday, September 2nd
9:00 – 10:30 (Offsite) Strolling with the Stars
8:00 – 11:00 (Grand Ballroom) Hugo Awards

Monday, September 3rd
10:00 – noon (Sandburg) Writers’ Workshop -Section U
4:01 – next several days (offsite) Recovery Time – Enjoying the City of my Birth!

I won’t be attending the SFWA Business Meeting because someone decided to schedule it opposite the Codex Breakfast (which has been set since early June), and since I’m the fellow who organizes that breakfast, I’m going to be there! At some point though, I’ll be working the SFWA table in the dealers’ room, and possibly even pretending to sign autographs there.

What hasn’t changed from my last schedule draft is my plan to wander the convention with my faithful plush promotional device, Barry, riding on my shoulder. I’ll be handing out postcards for free copies of his eponymous novella “Barry’s Tale” and even giving away similar plushies to some members of the audience at my reading, Kaffeeklatsch, and Autographing session (and maybe elsewhere too so come up to me when I’m strolling, you might get lucky!). Also be sure to ask for a photo with Barry at any time during the convention. He has his own Facebook and Google+ pages, and he needs images to post.

2012 Worldcon Schedule (a first look)

4 comments Written on August 1st, 2012 by
Categories: News
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One of the ways to predict the quality of a convention is by how far in advance they send out preliminary schedules to their participants. Chicon 7 sent me mine today, four full weeks before the start of the convention.

I have no doubt there’ll be some changes. Some of my co-panelists will slip away and others will show up in their stead, rooms may change, and times surely will, but all in all, having a glimpse of what I can expect this far in advance is a clear sign that this worldcon is going to be awesome!

Wednesday, August 29th:
noon – 11:00 Klingon Language for Newbies

Thursday, August 30th:
9:00 – 10:00 Strolling with the Stars
3:00 – 4:30 Kaffeeklatsche
4:30 – 6:00 Autographing

Friday, August 31st
noon – 1:30 Iron Chef: Flash Fiction (M)
3:00 – 3:30 Writer Under Glass #23
4:00 – 4:30 Reading

Saturday, September 1st
09:00 – 10:30 Codex Breakfast
10:30 – noon Another View on Character Building
1:30 – 3:00 How to Speak Klingon

Sunday, September 2nd
9:00 – 10:00 Strolling with the Stars
noon – 1:30 Introduction to Linguistics
8:00 – 11:00 Hugo Awards

Monday, September 3rd
10:00 – noon Writers’ Workshop -Section U
4:01 – next several days Recovery Time – Enjoying the City of my Birth!

The actual schedule for Strolling with the Stars hasn’t gone out yet, but I’ve included my best guess above. Likewise, the day and time of the SFWA Meeting has yet to be announced, but if I had to guess I’d say it will happen just after lunch on Sunday. Stay tuned to see if I’m right, because if I am I’ll either have to miss it, or the Linguistics panel will end up moved to a different time.

As always, you can expect to see my faithful plush promotional device, Barry, riding on my shoulder during the convention. But this year, Barry is not alone. I’ll give one away to some lucky Buffalito Wrangler who comes to my reading, another at my Kaffeeklatsch, and at least one more to someone who comes to my Autographing session with three or more books for me to sign (yes, I know, I’m shameless, but you also know you want a plush buffalo dog of your very own, complete with a tiny blue tongue!). Also be sure to ask for a photo with Barry at any time during the convention. He has his own Facebook and Google+ pages, and he needs images to post.

ReDeus: Coca Xocalātl

2 comments Written on July 19th, 2012 by
Categories: Gallery, Plugs
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ReDeus width=

I’ve received word that the new shared universe anthology, ReDeus: Divine Tales has gone to press. We’ll have the book available on Friday, August 3rd, at Shore Leave (as well as a majority of the contributors on hand to autograph your copy).

As such, I thought I’d tell you a bit more about my story in the book. It’s entitled “Coca Xocalātl” and is the tale of an eighty-five year old professor emeritus from the linguistics department of a university in San Diego, California. Except now San Diego has been reclaimed as a state of Mexico (along with portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas). Why? Because the Aztec gods said so! But I digress.

Professor Garcia y Fuentes is more or less content to live out the rest of his days puttering around in the basement of the university’s library. He has his correspondence with former students and colleagues, he has articles to review for professional journals, and he has dead languages to tinker with. But if he’s allowed to do that, then there’s no story. So…

Instead, our good professor unwittingly draws the attention of one of the gods, Huehuecoyotl, aka Old Man Coyote. And while this isn’t quite the familiar trickster god of American folklore, he is still very much a trickster and he has plans for our professor. Oh my yes.

As for the title? It’s what you get when you mix Coca Cola with traditional (as in the year 1400, you know, old school) “hot chocolate,” or rather, it’s what you get if a god mixes it for you.

I leave you now with the stunning illustration that Carmen Carnero created to go with my story. Just outstanding!
ReDeus

ReDeus: Divine Tales

No Comments » Written on July 13th, 2012 by
Categories: Plugs
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ReDeus: Divine Tales

On June 19th, Bob Greenberger sent me an email inviting me to join in an exciting new project that he had whipped up with Aaron Rosenberg, Steven Savile, and Paul Kupperberg. They were creating a shared universe called ReDeus. The premise was breathtaking: At the opening of the Olympic Games on July 27th, 2012, the gods of myth and legend – all of them, Zeus and Odin and Anu and Cernunnos and Abeguwo and and Yu-huang and Osiris and Ilmatar and Shiva and Kukulcan, seriously, all of them! – come back. Got that? Okay, now jump forward twenty years, and write a story in the world that has been transformed.

There was just one catch: they wanted to launch the book at Shore Leave, which meant the deadline for submissions was July 10th.

Okay, in my case, there was another catch: There was a minor snafu and I didn’t get the email.

Well, that’s not quite true. I did get it eventually, a week later. That made it a bit tougher, but the premise was so cool, and the people working on the project were folks I’d known for year but had never worked with, so even though I was in the midst of reading slush for the Cucurbital 3 anthology I put that on hold for a few days and wrote a story.

And I must have done all right because it’s been accepted and will be appearing in the anthology, coming your way on August 3rd.

I’ll have more to say about my story in a future post here, but for now, let’s all just gaze at this incredible cover by Anton Kokarev, shall we? Yes, let’s shall.

Saturday Brain Flash!

No Comments » Written on February 25th, 2012 by
Categories: News
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On the drive home from my weekly observance of Chinese food, I suddenly knew how the entire Amazing Conroy saga (the start of which is only hinted at at the very end of the last novel) gets resolved.

Or, to put it another way, I know what happens to tie off all of the pieces in an incredibly satisfying way a bit over half a million words from now.

Of course, that’s five or six Conroyverse books away (five in the series, and a related side book, or maybe two), so, you probably won’t get to see the result until around the year 2020.

Which, now that I think about it, makes Buffalito Hindsight a decent working title for the final book.

What I can tell you right here and now though is that everything that’s ever happened to Conroy feeds into that final book. All the supporting characters come back, all the old plot points factor in, and of course, Conroy saves the galaxy!

Hooray!

I’ve been writing lately

No Comments » Written on December 6th, 2011 by
Categories: News
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November was pretty good to me, from a writing perspective. I finally got myself back in gear after what has been quite the roller coaster ride in my personal life and things are finally settling down.

This meant I wrote most every day in November, yes even while I was away in Toronto at SFContario, and yes, even during Thanksgiving. As much better and more experienced writers have told me, writers write. It’s as simple as that, folks. I hope you’ll accept my lapse; somehow I managed to lose sight of this simple fact.

While lots of folk engaged in the annual headrush that is NaNoWriMo, I took a different direction this year. Instead of working on a novel in November, I wanted to write a novella. More specifically, I wanted to draft, edit, rewrite, and polish a novella within the span of the month. And I did. “Barry’s Tale” clocked in at a bit over twenty-thousand words. It’s been sent out to the handful of writers I’ve bandied critiques with for the last many years, and I’ll be receiving their careful considerations later in the month. I’m very much looking forward to it.

But that was November, and because writers write, I can’t just sit around congratulating myself for doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Nope, I need to move on to the next project. In this case, it’s another Amazing Conroy story, “Trial of the Century.” This is something of a necessary story, because it fills in some missing pieces that need to have happened somewhere between the end of the first novel, Buffalito Destiny, and the start of the second novel, Buffalito Contingency. It also features the return of the Arconi, the alien race from the very first Conroy story, the ones who can look you in the eye and know whether or not your telling the truth. The people that Conroy stole his original, fertile buffalito from, and they still don’t know how he did it. In “Trial of the Century” all this will be revealed, and more!

Like “Barry’s Tale,” “Trial” is intended to be one of the new, never-before-seen stories to go in my next book, a compilation of all the short stories about Conroy, so that readers will have them all in one place (which is especially good as several of the original sources are now out of print). The plan is to launch this book with much fanfare at the Worldcon in Chicago.

And now that I’ve brought you up to date, please excuse me, I need to get back to work.