News, events, and general discussion

The Sands of Sabakushi is here! Well, at least I have a batch of pre-street editions. I took them with me to the Norwescon convention this past weekend (more of which in a moment). The new book looks great - Windstorm's current printer is doing a wonderful job on making the colors sharp and clear. The books are not yet up on Amazon (or even on Windstorm's own site), but if you're an eager beaver and want to be the first on your block to get your copies, you can still order direct from Windstorm. Just give 'em author and title and they'll be able to ship them to you.

The convention went pretty well. Lady Jayne, the bookseller that I use in the dealer room at most of the cons, sold some sets of both Sabakushi and Kotaishi. I had two panels (Self Editing Secrets and How Stories End), both of which had full rooms of people attending. I also did a reading from Sabakushi, attended an autograph session, and did a couple of critiques for the Fairwood Writers Group.

As soon as the new books are more generally available, I will post a note here to let everyone know.
 
Congratulations, Kevin - such a great moment, I always reckon, that first holding of a new book! May she fly!
 
Thank you, thank you! Yep, it's pretty fun to finally hold the thing in your hand and say, "Wow, all that work ended up right here..."
 
By the way, in case anyone's noticed that all of my posts with a picture or a link have been edited by me today, it's because my website hosting service accidentally erased my site, and I've been trying to get it rebuilt properly. In the process I had to go back and change all of the links in all of my posts... what a pain! At the moment the site itself is still down, but hopefully it will be back up soon...
 
Wow, Rad, that's some snafu. I keep backups of all my webpages, out of paranoia that something like that might happen...the best of luck in sorting it out! I hope your hoster is being extra special nice to you about it.
 
Yes, they gave me a free month. They were really having a bad day, and I ended up being the one most affected by it... But all is back together now. I had just recently updated the site, as you know, so most of the bits and pieces were already in one place on my hard drive. So once they got the site working, all I had to do was move it all back, and then track down the few pieces that I had left lying around elsewhere (like your faux avatar, which I had actually left in my c:/temp folder...)
 
Sorta news, I guess, but I posted up a new image over on my Cover Art and Computer Graphics thread. Just a "demo cover," still playing around with the new 3D tools.

Next big event is the April 13th reading at the University of Washington book store. John Kremer, the book marketing guru, ranks this as one of the largest independent bookstores in the country, so it's pretty cool to have an event there. This is my second reading with them (the first was last August, for Kotaishi). I'll be reading from The Sands of Sabakushi this go 'round, sharing the time with Ted Butler, another Windstorm Creative author.

If anyone's in Seattle that evening (it's a Wednesday, at 7:30 PM), feel free to drop in for a listen.
 
I would if I could (there's that little foot massage frinstance - the biggest independent bookstore in the country wouldn't mind if you paused in your reading to help another author, surely?) :cool: The best of luck!

Btw, how do you find reading from novels? I find it a bit hard, because reading an extract always seems so unsatisfactory; how do you choose what to read?
 
"And then, with the blade mere inches from his neck, he... Excuse me a moment, I have to finish with Alison's right foot before moving on to her left..."

I actually like doing readings, as it give me a chance to really bring my words to life. Back in my school days (waaay back) I was involved in drama stuff, so I know how to do a bit of delivery. There are so many authors who read in a monotone that when somebody shows up with a bit of life in 'em, it tends to wake up the store staff, and then they invite you back.

As for what to read, I pick at least two scenes, and try to do several things with them. One is to make sure they're some of my best scenes; I want people to hear the best I can do (both the audience, and the store staff if it's at a store; since the idea is to get them interested enough to buy or stock the book). Another is to show both the contemplative side of my stories, and the action sides, so that they know I can do both. And finally, I try to pick scenes which won't give away too much story (this is always the hardest part). While people hearing something in a reading may not remember too much of what you actually said, if you mention that the hero actually found the secret thingy, then that bit of suspense might be ruined for buyers of the book.

For my first book, when I have an hour I've generally always read the same two passages, which total about 35 - 40 minutes (this leaves enough time for intro and wrap up). For the new book, I have two scenes that are about 25 minutes (these were for a 30 minute reading). I have a third one I can do for my upcoming UW reading, where I get an hour.
 
You sound very well organised in how you approach it, Rad. I'm used to poetry readings (I like reading too) - but with poetry you get to read the whole thing. So it feels strange reading just an extract, and I often wonder how much people can get from it. Do you explain the context?
 
I give about a 5-minute intro of some of the setting and the main characters, just enough so that what I'm reading has a bit of context for the names and such.

Mostly I think the whole reading's just a chance for people to hear how you write, sort of the audible version of thumbing through the pages in the bookstore. So if the bit they hear sounds intriguing, then they may be willing to give it a chance.
 
Tonight was both the official launch of The Sands of Sabakushi, and my reading at the UW Bookstore (along with Ted Butler, a fellow Windstorm Creative author). It went very well - we had about a dozen people there. Several of my more ardent fans showed up, which was also quite nice. I read a couple of scenes from the new book, followed by Ted who read from his first book, one of two now out from Windstorm (his are YA science fiction).

For those of you not familiar with the University of Washington Bookstore, it's huge! It's three stories, with the school textbook part only one of the floors. The other two are devoted to general books, and they stock a lot of eclectic things (such as Pacific Northwest writers published by small presses... :) )

Although the new book is not yet up on Amazon, or even on Windstorm's own website (they seem to be tad slow off the mark), the book is most definitely available. Anyone who doesn't want to wait can look right here for the UW's website listing of the books. They don't have cover images (only for Kotaishi Part 2 - go figure...) but you can see those over on my website if you like.

So now I have four books on the shelf! (Ok, so it's two books in four volumes, but it still looks pretty cool!)
 
So now I have four books on the shelf! (Ok, so it's two books in four volumes, but it still looks pretty cool!)
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That is definitely way cool, Kevin - congratulations on the launch. And God bless all who sail in her! (Or whatever you say when you launch a book into the big wide ocean...) :p

And it sounds like a very pleasant event. I would have been there, if you had had the good sense to hold it in Melbourne - one charming thing about this city is the abundance of good cafes and restaurants to retire to after such events, to converse seriously until the wee hours over copious amounts of sake. Sound good?
 
alison said:
That is definitely way cool, Kevin - congratulations on the launch. And God bless all who sail in her! (Or whatever you say when you launch a book into the big wide ocean...) :p
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I believe you say "Plop" and watch it sink in the water... :) But many thanks, just the same!

alison said:
And it sounds like a very pleasant event. I would have been there, if you had had the good sense to hold it in Melbourne - one charming thing about this city is the abundance of good cafes and restaurants to retire to after such events, to converse seriously until the wee hours over copious amounts of sake. Sound good?
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I am there, my dear friend (just as you were actually here this evening - I saved a chair for you). So let's break out the sake bottle and get started!
 
I believe you say "Plop" and watch it sink in the water...
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I expect that rather underestimates your buoyancy!

OK, ordering the sake now (it has to be sake or that very nice Japanese beer) and plates full of goodies... it has to be Japanese, right? And anyway, it's my favourite cuisine.
 
alison said:
I expect that rather underestimates your buoyancy!
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Well put!

alison said:
OK, ordering the sake now (it has to be sake or that very nice Japanese beer) and plates full of goodies... it has to be Japanese, right? And anyway, it's my favourite cuisine.
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Thasssh verrrry good shtuff, Alisonnnn.... Whadda ya say the name of thiz place is again? Nevvver mind, have another one... Here's to Sabakushi, and here's to The Gift...
 
Mel-bourne.

Very cosmopolitan in terms of food.

I had lunch at a French creperie on Friday with genuine French cider... very impressive and authentic. It was in Williamstown, Alison. You probably go there all the time.

Hey, SOS Launched! Wow! Congratulations!

So what day is the Australian launch?
 
It was in Williamstown, Alison. You probably go there all the time.
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Hi Rocket Sheep - have you grazing been in pastures far? Nice to see you back. I do indeed know that creperie, but when I'm in the money I go to Lever and Kowalyk, a most excellent and cool cafe in Ferguson St, which is actually quite inexpensive for the quality of the food. It does a really mean breakfast. Actually, not a bad venue, now I come to think about it, for the Australian launch...if Kevin goes off the idea of Japanese cooseeen...
 
Rocket! Long time no see. Glad to see you poking around again.

I'm surprised the two of you haven't managed to at least have a lunch together - you're only a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from one another, are you not? Think of all the stories you could tell each other about me... ("Can you believe that American tweeb? Cheeky, he is...")

I'm certainly up for an Australian launch. Maybe it would go a little better than the U.S. launch... :rolleyes: But, in lieu of an Australian launch I'll settle for an Australian lunch, as long as I can get the two of you to come along. And whatever other Aussie authors we can drag along as well.

Save me a seat.
 
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