Get Your Tickets NOW!*

In my other persona as a science fiction author, I'm often asked to sit on panels where a bunch of us extol the virtues of being a science fiction writer/fan in these Twin Towns (seriously, there are lot of SF writers in Minneapolis/St. Paul). So I'm used to telling people we ARE the awesome, but even I did not realize the depths of our amazingness. Check this (this is NOT a joke):

The Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis will be presenting A Klingon Christmas Carol. The production runs from November 27th until December 13rd. Ticket prices are $18 for adults and $14 for students and seniors.

The best part is from the Mixed Blood site:

Scrooge has no honor, nor any courage. Can three ghosts help him to become the true warrior he ought to be in time to save Tiny Tim from a horrible fate? Performed in the Original Klingon with English Supertitles, and narrative analysis from The Vulcan Institute of Cultural Anthropology.

The classic Dickensian tale of ghosts and redemption adapted to reflect the Warrior Code of Honor and then translated into tlhIngan Hol (That’s the Klingon Language).

A co-production of Commedia Beauregard and the IKV RakeHell of the Klingon Assault Group.

Okay, not only is it a retelling, but it's also IN Klingon (with Vulcan commentary). How can you not love that? It's like we live somewhere between reality and ficition.

--- *x-posted from Wyrdsmiths

Oh, hi... How Long Have You Been Standing There?

I know, I know. I've been a terrible blogger.

I had a nice Thanksgiving with family and friends and a dead bird and all the trimmings, and now it's time to get back to work and I'm really not relishing it, I'm afraid.

This morning, in my in-box, was the copy-edited manuscript for HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD. I managed to transfer it to my PC (I'm a Mac user these days for a laptop), look at it to see if all the formatting came through, and then, with a sigh, closed everything up. I have fourteen days to get this all done, but just not up for it today... on a Monday, after a nice, long, relaxing holiday.

I also need to get going on proposals for a new adult series. I think you've probably read that before if you've checked my blog at all in the past month, so you know exactly how far behind I am on THAT little project too.

sigh.

Some Mondays are harder than others.

What are YOU doing?

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, but I really haven't had very much happening.

Mason is at home for one of his "intersessions," which means I've been very busy playing video games. I did turn 42 last Wednesday, which, as many of you know, is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

I also need to work on my proposals for some new adult series to replace Garnet, but I have to admit that my heart isn't in it. I think, perhaps, I'm still mourning.

How about you?

Writing with Children

My son Mason is home for fall break. He has a year-round school, and so, several times a year, he has a couple of weeks off when no one else does. Some people will be getting off for Thanksgiving, but he's off now for two weeks... which has ground my writing to a halt. I'd meant to spend this last weekend finally working up a proposal or two for a new adult series (I had a flash of an idea while driving everyone to work the other day that involves an accountant to a vampire) but I muffed it. I spent the weekend instead, enjoying the sunshine and raking leaves.

Which isn't exactly Mason's fault, but I'm hoping to pin it on him, anyway. :-)

Today I also spent outside, in the sun, so I'm sure that's his fault too.

Hmph. Okay, obviously, I have time to blog, so I probably have time to write. But do you ever find that it's easier to do things that can be interrupted when kids are around? I could get started writing, but I hate it when I'm in the groove and suddenly there's some crisis or other and I have to get up to take care of it. It's hard to get back in the mood, as it were. Then again, I used to write on the job and I never seemed to mind little interruptions then.

I've talked to other stay-at-home writers and at least one agrees that she got more writing done when she had a nine-to-five. I think when we had our "real jobs" both of us felt much more comfortable carving out a minute here and there (stealing time from "the man") than we do taking time away from family obligations (even things like dishes, etc.)

Well, I'm off... to bake a chocolate beer cake. (seriously!)

Writing Date that Wasn't Much Writing

Monday has become my social writing day. I get together with two other local writers (Naomi Kritzer and Eleanor Arnason) at a coffee shop here in Saint Paul and we, in the parlance of parenting magazines, "parallel play." We each pull out our laptops and write. Usually, there isn't much chatting other than a pleasant "hello" or "so what are you working on?" but, yesterday, for some reason, we were all feeling like talking.

I suppose I should consider yesterday some kind of a failure, but I don't.

There's something really important about face time with other professionally minded writers, even if we only end up talking about good places to dine out. Especially since, by chance, all of us that get together are currently "at home" due to choice or unemployment. Getting out of the house at all is important in those situations, I think. The writing life can become awfully insular otherwise.

Good friends and strong coffee are the fiber of a good life, I think.

Blessed be.

Monday Morning, WIP

Not much to report, really. I finished up my revisions for the last Garnet Lacey book and sent them off. Now I'm waiting on the editorial letter for ALMOST TO DIE FOR, the first of the new young adult series, and to hear what my agent thinks of the little paragraph pitches I sent her of ideas for new contemporary urban fantasy adult books.

You?

In about an hour or so, I'm off to go pick up my friend and fellow author Eleanor Arnason and we're going to head to a coffee shop to write together. It's amazing to me how much more I get done when I'm sitting across from someone who appears to be working diligently on something. I don't know if Eleanor is over there playing Solitaire, but she looks so serious that I feel I should be too. It's clever of us, really.

German Titles

As you know, Bob, I sold rights to my books to a German publisher. I just got news today that they will be re-titling my books, as the play on words didn't work in German. The first book, originally TALL, DARK & DEAD will be NICHT SCHON WIEDER EIN VAMPIR (Not Another Vampire) and the second will be, BEISS NOCH EINMAL MIT GEFUEHL (Bite Once More, With Feeling!)

I kind of like NOT ANOTHER VAMPIRE because, well, there are a ton of vampire books out there and it works as a play on that, but also it goes to Garnet past relationship with Parrish and moving to Sebastian, as well as the fact that Sebastian isn't your average vamp.

What fun!