A new beginning with Marlene Stringer, Literary Agent

I've not been around much for November, because there have been some rather dramatic changes going on in the background. Early in November, my literary agent Weronika Janczuk and I amicably parted ways. Her life-path is taking her down a different route, and I wish her all the success in the world. I will always be grateful to her for her advice and input and also for helping me kick off my career as a writer. She made my first two years as an author a very positive experience.

However, even as Weronika moves on, so must I.

I am very pleased and excited (I mean bouncy-happy-excited if you can imagine such a thing) to announce that I am now represented by Marlene Stringer of The Stringer Literary Agency. I have long admired Marlene and enjoyed the works of the authors that she represents (Alex Bledsoe, Erica Hayes, Liane Merciel, Jennifer Blom, Medeia Sharif to name a few), so I am exceptionally happy--and quite proud, to be honest--to be featured in her line-up of clients.

While November was hectic and somewhat nerve-wracking at times, everything turned out very well, and a few people have been asking me: what's next?

This is where I clean up and work on odds and ends such as synopses for new novels. I'm also working up the first three chapters to Dolorosa (Miserere's sequel), and In Midnight's Silence (the tentative title to Garden's sequel). Right now Midnight is speaking to me the loudest, so that is where I am concentrating my energy. Nothing is set in stone at this point.

I've done some research into La Santa Muerte for a short-story idea that I'd like to write. I intend to share a little of that information in a blog post later on. You can also watch for Random Notes, a new series of posts that will highlight source material from my research. I'll post those tidbits as I come across them. I am also making a dedicated effort to blog in a more timely fashion.

*coughs*

No. Really. I am.

And that is where I have been and what I have been up to ... what about you? Share your news in the comments and tell me what you've been up to in the feral month of November.

An interview at the dynamic Bookworm Blues

I'm interviewed at Bookworm Blues by the dynamic Sarah! We talk about Miserere, The Garden, world-building, religion, and a host of other topics--pop over and say hi if you have minute. We'd love to see you there.

A sneak peek inside THE GARDEN & a blog post

The Debut Authorpalooza continues at the Staffer's Book Reviews (and occasional musings), and this week, I take Monday's slot with a blog post about how I throw down the gauntlet and write the second novel and Chapter 1 of The Garden in its entirety.

Be sure you check out The Staffer's Book Reviews (and occasional musings) for the whole list of authors participating in the Debut Authorpalooza. There is still time to register for prizes and read some awesome excerpts by authors Mark Lawrence, Kameron Hurley, Elspeth Cooper, Courtney Schafer, Stina Leicht, Mazarkis Williams, Bradley Beaulieu, Anne Lyle, and Doug Hulick.

Who is posting when? Check out the full listing here.

Reddit AMA--The VERY Big AMA

Tonight, you can Ask Me Anything at the VERY Big AMA on Reddit. The fun starts at 7:00 p.m. CST; 8:00 p.m. EST.

I will join authors Mark Lawrence, Kameron Hurley, Elspeth Cooper, Courtney Schafer, Stina Leicht, Mazarkis Williams, Bradley Beaulieu, Anne Lyle, and Doug Hulick for the Reddit event of the summer.

Meanwhile, don't forget the great Debut Authorpalooza is still going on over at Staffer's Book Reviews. Guest posts, never-before-seen excerpts, and prizes.

Meet me at the Reidsville Public Library

If you have some time Thursday, March 29, you can come by the Reidsville Pubic Library to meet me and other fine Rockingham County authors when the Reidsville Public Library hosts its annual Local Authors Night.

I will be joining local authors Diane Dean, Mike Dougherty, Dena Harris, Montanette Hendricks, K.C. Hobbs, Marilyn Swinson, and Patricia Winchester to talk about our books.

This is a free event, there will be refreshments and book talk.

It's March 29, 2012 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Reidsville Public Library, 204 West Morehead Street in Reidsville. Please call 336-349-8476 for directions or more information.

I hope to see you there.

Locus Roundtable with Stina Leicht and me

I usually shy away from telephones with the same aversion that vampires display toward garlic, but when Karen Burnham asked me if I wanted to do a roundtable with Stina Leicht, I couldn't resist.

I've been a fan of Stina's work ever since I read Of Blood and Honey, and her newest novel, Blue Skies From Pain has just been published.

I'm a big fan of Stina's work, so a lot of those long pauses that poor Karen had to edit were due to me waiting for my captioning to catch up. I really wanted to see what Stina had to say.

Karen is an awesome interviewer and she made the whole thing so much fun, we forgot we were be recorded.

I ask that you forgive one thing: It was getting late in the evening and I'd been up since 5:30 a.m. I had read Publisher's Lunch earlier in the day about the dispute with Amazon, but I couldn't recall the name of IPG (Indpendent Publishing Group). My tried brain kept trying to tell me it was IBG. So that is what I was babbling about. (As an aside, the SFWA has made this request regarding Amazon and I suggest you read this important post about how SFWA is redirecting Amazon.com links.)

If you want to hear what I sound like, thick Southern accent and all, here is the link to the Locus Roundtable Teresa Frohock and Stina Leicht in Conversation.

And thanks again to Karen for being so brave and asking me to participate! Stina and I hit it off and I see late nights full of talk at future cons.

StellarCon 36 panel schedule

I just received my schedule for StellarCon 36, and they have a spectacular line-up of panels and guests this year. It all begins on Friday, March 2 at 4:00 p.m. and rolls through Sunday, March 4. For those who are interested, I'll be on the following activities and panels:

Friday, March 2

5:00 PM I'll be signing books, come by and meet me if you have a moment.

Saturday, March 3

10:00 AM Religion in SFF Many beloved science fiction and fantasy series have religious undertones. Our panelists discuss the nature of faith in genre fiction, and what the popularity of these themes might say about fandom.

11:00 AM I'll be reading from Miserere and if time allows, from The Garden.

4:00 PM The Heroine's Journey Does the Heroine's Journey differ in some way from that of the Hero? An examination of the heroine's role in genre fiction.

7:00 PM Libraries of the Future With the growing popularity of e-books, what will happen to our libraries?

Sunday, March 4

10:00 AM Strong Female Characters Ever since Xena and Buffy brought the idea of the strong female character to the forefront of pop culture, the concept has shifted from novelty to cliche. Writers discuss the trick to doing it well without falling into any of the obvious traps.

Locus Awards Ballot

The ballot for the 42nd annual Locus Awards, covering works that appeared in 2011, is now online. Rather than list all of the eligible books from 2011, Locus used their recommended reading list to compile their preliminary lists. They did leave several lines for voters to write in their favorites and you do not have to be a subscriber to vote.

So this is just a reminder that Miserere: An Autumn Tale, Teresa Frohock (Night Shade Books) was published in 2011 and is eligible for a Locus Award.

I know I've been a sloppy blogger of late, but time has been short these last two weeks. I'll be back soon. Meanwhile, head over to Locus and vote your favorite book.

Interview at Civilian Reader

For those of you who keep up with these things, I'm over at the Civilian Reader blog today with Stefan. We're talking about everything from early genre influences to Miserere. Check out some of Stefan's reviews and other interviews while you're there. It was a lot of fun.

Miserere is Unboxed at Reader Unboxed

Everyone knows about Writer Unboxed, a consistent winner of the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites Award for the last five years. The founders of Writer Unboxed, Therese Walsh and Kathleen Bolton, wanted a more direct line with the readers, so they partnered with book bloggers and Larramie from The Divining Wand to start a sister-site to Writer Unboxed, called Reader Unboxed.

Reader Unboxed uses two rating systems to rate their reviews: 1) an overall book rating; and 2) an unboxed rating. The unboxed rating is for:

... a book that does something new. Fresh. Takes an idea and places it, firmly, unequivocally, out of the box. It is the road less traveled. It is the place beyond what we know, the place where the dragons be. It is evidence that an author brought a machete out with her into the wilderness and not just a pair of sunglasses.

Lots of things can make a book unboxed. A startling twist. A transporting voice. A unique setting or story structure. A character who does exactly the opposite of what we expected.

Vaughn Roycroft reviews Miserere: An Autumn Tale and gives Miserere a 6-star UNBOXED rating:

I feared the themes would be too Calvinistic for my taste. I pressed ahead, and was rewarded for my diligence. By page 30, when Lucian escapes his evil sister and is set upon his quest, I was all in. I was also delighted to find that all of the religions of Earth were represented in Woerld, united against their common foe: evil. The very things I initially felt hesitant over ended up being the most unboxed (fresh) elements of the book. [READ THE REVIEW HERE]

While you're over at Reader Unboxed, check out the other reviews. The Reader Unboxed reviewers cover several different genres, so no matter your reading tastes, you will find a book that will take you to new places and new thoughts.