Adventures

A Very Giant NEWS Post!

Admin, Adventures, cult faves, Nattering, Newsletter / By /

Greetings, lovely humans. Um, this is such an overdue post/tinyletter. I look forward to getting back to newsletters are that are me hemming and hawing about the creative process, because this one is going to have a lot of news about Cool Projects That Help Feed Humans, Dogs and Cats, so buckle in.

Probably the most shameful thing about not having done a newsletter is that mine and Christopher’s second middle grade came out! At the end of May! This means you can now get two books where smart kids solve mysteries in a hotel for monsters by this crack husband-and-wife writing duo. The Lost Legacy is now out in paperback, and The Sphinx’s Secret is in hardcover. These are books we wrote for our childhood fantasy-adventure-loving selves, to delight each other, and for the children we love best. They make great gifts for pretty much every type of middle grade reader in your life, and hey, you might even dig them as an adult. We put lots of little jokes and references in for each other, so it’s a little like unpacking the layers in a Pixar movie. The Sphinx’s Secret has: a secret Cabinet of Wonders in the basement of the New York Public Library, sphinxes now and in ancient Egypt, time travel, a sword with a name, an evilish wizard, and a very good dog! Who can resist?


Get this series wherever fine books are sold (if they don’t have it in stock, they can order it for you). Handy links to Amazon, B&N, HarperCollins, and Indiebound. And if you or your kids read and enjoy, Amazon reviews are always appreciated. They help people find books!

(Speaking of which the Lois Lane series is also all now in paperback, with Triple Threat’s paperback release in May — but there is so much NEWS I’m not even going to belabor that.)

I’ve told you guys about the super-fascinating collaborative style of Serial Box before, and now I can finally blab the details of the serial I created and wrote with the AMAZING Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan. Dead Air grew out of my love of true crime, radio shows and podcasts, my town of Lexington and accurate southern stories (!!!), and mysteries. And I got to do it with two of my favorite writers and people who are also into those things. The details:

Explore your true crime obsession in a whole new way with Serial Box’s latest multimedia innovation in storytelling from three of today’s hottest storytellers Gwenda Bond, Rachel Caine, and Carrie Ryan. 

Welcome to Dead Air, where M is for midnight, Mackenzie…and murder.

Mackenzie Walker wasn’t planning on using her college radio show to solve a decades old murder, but when she receives an anonymous tip that the wrong man may have taken the fall, she can’t resist digging deeper.

It doesn’t take long for Mackenzie to discover gaps in the official story. Several potential witnesses conveniently disappeared soon after the murder. The victim, a glamorous heiress and founder of a Kentucky horse-racing dynasty, left behind plenty of enemies. And the cops don’t seem particularly interested in discussing any of it.

But when the threats begin, Mackenzie knows she’s onto something. Someone out there would prefer to keep old secrets buried and they seem willing to bury Mackenzie with them. Thankfully, she’s getting help from a very unexpected source: the victim’s son, Ryan. The closer she gets to him, however, the more important it is for Mackenzie to uncover the truth before he gets buried alongside her.

Read or listen to weekly ebook and audio episodes of the serial novel Dead Air and then check out Mackenzie’s podcast for a uniquely immersive experience. Does the truth lie in the serial, the podcast…or somewhere in-between?

This is going to be SO COOL, you guys! And I have a special discount code you can use to order that gives you 25% off the entire first season of ten episodes — you’ll get weekly episodes as synced up audio and ebooks in a nifty free app on your phone (or on your desktop or other device, whichever you prefer) and then you can check out weekly episodes of the podcast that are timed to go with the novel.

You can find out more about all this and how Serial Box works (think HBO for reading) here: https://www.serialbox.com/deadair​

Or if you’re like, I don’t need anymore I want to ORDER PLEASE — bless you — go to:
http://serialbox.com/redeem​ and use the code DEADAIRAPO18

It works out to $10.50 or basically a buck an episode and is only good until July 31. I can’t wait for people to get this one. I’m so proud of what we made together. Being a showrunner is a lot of work, but really fun.

You may be like, Gwenda, that is enough news. Surely that’s all the news, but um, sorry? Two more things!

I’m writing the first Stranger Things novel, which is a prequel about Eleven’s mother Terry and her experience with MKUltra. Cool, huh? I’m in the deadline cave hard on this one, feeling so lucky and grateful, and having an absolute blast. It’ll be out in February!


Annnd last but not least, I’m co-hosting a new podcast called Cult Faves with the one and only Cher Martinetti (who founded SyFy Fangrrls and is its editorial mastermind). We’re exploring our shared obsession with cults with each of us picking and leading a discussion of a different cult each week. It’s been a lot of fun so far and our first episode just dropped — we discuss our first introduction to cults, why we’re so fascinated with them, and then dive right in on a little known cult called The Source Family. So check it out and consider leaving an iTunes review? We’re doing this all DIY and every share or subscribe helps. Plus, I think it’s going to be such a fun trip. Take it with us!

We’re on iTunes and most everywhere else (or will be soon) (you can also find us by searching!) — or you can listen from our Anchor page. Because I love you, I’ll give you a sneak preview of what we’re doing for next week’s episode — we’re going to be talking about all about a cult that never actually existed, the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. SUBSCRIBE, Y’ALL.

And that is truly all the news! For now. More soon. That is actual content. In the meantime, I hope summer is treating you nice.

A Very Giant NEWS Post! Read More »

My Year in Review 2015 + News for 2016

2 Comments / Adventures, Nattering, Real Life, Uncategorized / By /

LoisLanefinalcoverI hardly even know where to start with this year — a busy, crazy, very good year. And a year that pushed me to a big decision I’d put off for a long time (more on that toward the end — no skipping!).

I started 2015 writing the first of the free Lois Lane prequel stories (now available for your kindle), and then it was full steam ahead into the release of Fallout. While all that was happening — including the release — I was hard at work on the sequel, Double Down.

Things like this happened:

And I did a ton of interviews; some of my favorites are linked here and here. I also got to go on tour with four of my favorite ladies in the universe. dangerousladies

Here’s hoping we can reprise Dangerous Ladies this year at some point. And you might find a little easter egg reference to it hidden in Double Down. I also went to some fabulous events and heard from a lot of readers, and was completely humbled by the reactions and support. Over the summer, I concentrated on writing the first draft of the companion novel to Girl on a Wire, which is titled Girl in the Shadows (I will have a cover to show you extremely soon!).

On the personal side, things were so busy and I was doing so much writing and publicity for Lois (while still going to my day job) that I started to have horrible back issues that ended up being a rib out of alignment. This took a couple of months of physical therapy to fix. In June, our beloved Emma the Dog went in for what was meant to be a routine, benign tumor removal only for us to be informed that she had malignant cancer, a giant tumor in her liver, and might only make it a few weeks, a month or two at most. This was also the day we got the offer on our middle grade book, because life is funny that way.

Somewhere in here, I realized that it was not actually normal to feel incredibly anxious ALL THE TIME. Finally, after nearly having a full-blown panic attack while we were in Atlanta for DragonCon and Decatur Book Festival (you probably didn’t know if you were there, I am good at covering), I went to my doctor and asked for anxiety meds. To say I should have done it far, far sooner is an understatement. We also celebrated our eleventh wedding anniversary in Atlanta. Best decision I ever made (the marriage, not celebrating in Atlanta;).

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All these stories make up a happy ending to this year. I discovered aerial silks, which I’d probably have remained too chicken to try without the anxiety meds, and the local fitness center I go to for aerial yoga and et cetera is now one of my favorite FAVORITE places. Also, I managed to finish another book without anything like the usual body woes. Magic. Me at my very first class:

IMG_1447 Emma the Dog started doing very well on a prednisone regimen and continues to do so. Just last week, she indulged in chocolate intended for a publishing house. (She recovered overnight and went desperately seeking more chocolate only to be DENIED.) IMG_1766

We finally got to tell y’all about the middle grade right before Thanksgiving. Writing this together completely creatively revitalized me at a time I was feeling burned out. It’s just so much fun, and I hope everyone else thinks so too.

announcement

So, to recap writing-wise: I wrote two Lois short stories, Lois Lane: Double Down (92,000 words) and Girl in the Shadows (105,000 words) and co-revised Welcome to Hotel Monster (about 77,000 words) this year. While still also going to my day job of some seventeen years, which I have really hesitated to leave, though I’ve considered whether it was time for the past couple of years. I enjoy it. It makes a difference in the world. I have gotten to work with some amazing people. It was never dull.

But…it’s time. Some of you already know this, and I gave notice last week. Yes, I’m FINALLY taking the plunge and becoming a stay-at-home writer type. I’m SO excited to have more balance and to be able to focus more and really take advantage of the opportunities I’m lucky enough to have right now. My last day in the office will be next Wednesday. I’ll be snagging some insurance on kynect and working from home. I have a lot of projects I’m excited for, including a comics thing that I can’t wait to tell y’all about, and I’m playing around with a new novel idea or two. There’s a lot of travel coming up in 2016, plus two book releases plus the one I can’t divulge yet. Plus another middle grade to write! I’m also working on getting updated, redesigned editions of Blackwood and The Woken Gods out in e-book during the first couple of months this year.

I think, however, even with so much going on, that I’d still have been too scared to make the leap if it wasn’t for another opportunity that popped up at just the right time. I’m going to be working for Subterranean Press as their social media consultant starting in January. Oh, what fun we will have together on the twitters and the Facebook! Bill and Yanni are two of the most wonderful people in publishing, and I’m a long-time fan of theirs and the work they do. I’m THRILLED to get to be a part of it. Subterranean_press_logo

This also means I’ll be at ConFusion in Michigan at the end of January. And allll of this means that 2016 is going to be my year of embracing risks and twirling around in the air and who knows what it will bring, what life will look like by this time next year, and exactly what I’ll have written by then? Not me.

That’s the most exciting part. This is going to be fun.

(Also: buy my books. For everyone you know.)

My Year in Review 2015 + News for 2016 Read More »

What a Weekend, What a Year

Adventures, Nattering, Real Life / By /

What a weekend! From the crowded cosplay halls of Dragon*Con to the airy (and occasionally broiling) square at Decatur Book Festival and back again (and again). I talked comics and fantasy and Lois Lane and YA humor and circus things on panels and afterward, signed a lot of books and met so many wonderful readers, and, as always, saw too many friends and met too many new people to name them all. 

There’s a nice Daily Dragon recap by Brynna Owens of the Creating a Safe Space for Female Readers panel that featured Laurenn McCubbin and myself on Friday.

And I think people enjoyed the sneak peek (er, listen) to part of Double Down — again, I thank you guys who braved the Dragon Con parade insanity to get to the Hyatt basement.

The humor panel at Decatur was fun, as a humor panel should be.

We decided to go full dance party at the DBF party, and Terra made it happen.

And Truth or Dare at the hands of Kimberly Jones and Vania Stoyanova with Libba Bray, Terra Elan McVoy, Becky Goldstein Albertalli, David Arnold, Adam Silvera and Andrew Smith is already legend. Its songs and videos and dramatic readings are being immortalized all over Facebook and Twitter Valhalla, as they should be.


So many thanks to the wonderful DBF organizers and volunteers and Little Shop of Stories for being awesome, and to Bev Kodak and her YA lit track team at Dragon Con for the same (plus, the lovely comics track organizers!). Book people are the best people, and I’m so glad I get to live this bookish life with all of you.

The night we arrived in Atlanta, Christopher and I went up to the rotating restaurant on top of our hotel for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. And I remembered visiting it with Diana Gill almost exactly a year ago for a drink, and talking to her about how I thought I was making the right career choices, but how can you ever know? This was a few days before Girl on a Wire came out (the restaurant has a view of the building that’s the scene of Jules’ last building walk in the book) and a few days after Lois Lane: Fallout had been announced. Sitting up there, remembering that, and reflecting on the last twelve months… What a year this has been. And so Christopher and I had a toast and set goals for this coming one.

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I’m going to go out on a limb and say I think it’ll be good too.

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Pretty Good Year

Adventures, Nattering / By /

In fact, it was a good enough year that my head, heart, hands and at least one foot are in 2015 already–forward momentum is always a good thing. Or as Jules puts it in Girl on a Wire:

With motion comes purpose. With motion comes discovery.

But there's a value to taking stock and keeping a record too. And the amusement value of looking back from another year on, as I just did to last year's post (pretty on point, actually, though as always some things took longer to get to than I expected). I said last year that 2013 felt transitional, and it did. And so this past year, 2014, was more settled in many ways. Oh, sure, there was the usual anxiety and upheaval, but I also had a building sense that I was doing what I wanted to be, telling the stories I wanted to tell, with a better idea of how I want the story of my career and my life to take shape. Those are truly stories only we can tell, after all. On the practical side, it's also really nice to be paid well and have teams of people to work with who take care with and support your work.

I stopped feeling like some sort of fraud writer whose career would be snatched away–most days anyway–and like someone who just kept their eyes ahead and focused on doing the work. And that's my plan for 2015–to keep telling the stories I want to tell, while trying to get better at telling them, always, and to keep working with great people. I'm having more fun as a writer than I ever have, and I hope that translates to more fun for you as readers. Without you, I don't get to keep doing this. So please know your support means the world.

Another discovery? Lois Lane fans are truly the absolute best. I can't wait to get to share Fallout with you guys.

I only managed to finish two books last year, and one of them was a collaboration (which just got done literally yesterday, so cross everything; I'm really proud of that one). Amid doing a bunch of other things. There were swathes where not much writing got done, but that was tied to the not-good parts of 2014, which involved both my parents having serious surgeries at an overlapping time. They are both in much improved health now, and that's a huge relief and something I'm grateful for every day. (It also taught me a real lesson about how fragile my routines are and reaffirmed the lesson of always working ahead.) But I came out of the year with several projects I'd like to tackle at some point in the future and energy for the ones I'm working on now. And we took a marvelous trip to Portugal.

Writing stuff:

GIRL ON A WIRE – Thanks to all of you who've bought and read and recommended it to others. And please keep on doing so! It's hard to believe, but it's only been out for a handful of months and I've been too busy writing to do that much promotion, other than a few events and a tweet here or there. But people are still finding it, and that's all due to the publisher and you guys. The reception to this book makes my heart feel many sizes bigger. The Cirque thanks you guys. Significant events in blog posts: Kindle First launch  and Release Day.

The announcement of LOIS LANE: FALLOUT – What a whirlwind that was! And we're just four months away from the official release now, y'all. Four. Months. I'm so grateful for the early reactions this book has gotten. Significant events in blog posts: The Secret is Out (!!!) and Media Round-Up. (Having been the recipient of many excellent Superman-themed T-shirts and sweaters and pajamas over the holidays, I'm hoping this is a hit at least partly so maybe we could get some more Lois-themed garb. Who's with me? Even just the cool name treatment from the cover. A girl can dream. 😉

image from www.gwendabond.comLooking ahead…

LOIS LANE: FALLOUT - This is going to be my year of Lois, and there'll be much ado from me around the launch, I'm sure. This is going to be a year of firsts–my first Winter Institute, my first BEA appearance, my first Many Other Things. I'm so so excited, still, to get to contribute to the legacy of one of the most iconic, incredible characters ever and, oh, do I hope you guys enjoy this book. Also, Lois is one of the funnest characters to write, period. When stuck, I just ask: What Would Lois Lane Do? Voila! Solution. Hashtag: #WWLLD

And I'll also be writing TWO MORE BOOKS in 2015 that I can't tell you about quite yet. (Hopefully soon, at least for one of them!) But there will be at least two new books by me for you in 2016. And I can't wait to get them written.

More surprises coming this spring! Including a completely revamped website (finally!). Other things I'm looking forward to: a retreat in Mexico in February and a retreat in South Carolina in April. I'm hoping life will also surprise me (and Christopher!) in good ways, and that maybe a leap I've been eyeing for a long while will become possible.

Other Significant Blog Posts of the Year:

I didn't blog that much last year, but there were a handful of longer posts people seemed to enjoy, in chronological order.

Happiest of New Year's to you all. I hope 2015 is a time of marvels.

Pretty Good Year Read More »

Miscellaneous Hijinks and Upcoming Event

Adventures, Girl on a Wire, Nattering / By /

Ah, World Fantasy was such fun — so many of my favorite people in one place. While the usual woes of not getting to meet/see everyone All The Time exists, I got to spend a happy-making number of hours hiding out and gabbing with dear friends. Yay.

Also, writing Catwoman has changed my dear Genevieve… Here she is stealing my earring at the mass signing:

We had two fabulous meals at Jaleo, both of which required sampling of the featured cocktail — the Mascieta, a concoction of brandy, lemon, saffron syrup, muddled plum wedges and egg white that instantly transports the drinker to the 1930s, specifically The Thin Man movies.

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The second time it was so good that we promptly came back and bid on these fabulous papercut pieces by the amazing Kathleen Jennings in the art show. And we won them. Yip!

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I regret nothing.

Upcoming event! I'll be at the Kentucky Book Fair this Saturday. Come get a copy of Girl on a Wire, which I will scribble in. They make excellent x-mas presents. (As always, if you're far away or can't make the event, you can get signed copies from Morris Book Shop and Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and I'm happy to stop in and personalize 'em.) I'll be on Curtains @ 8 on WUKY tonight, along with some other authors who'll be at the book fair.

And I have some news, which I cannot talk about yet but yay:

Last but not least, the wonderful Catherine McKenzie (have you read Hidden? soooo good) named Girl on a Wire one of "5 Great Reads for Your Book Club" over at the Huffington Post recently: "To paraphrase The Princess Bride, there's mystery, wire walking, trapezes, fights and a great kiss. Highly recommended for YA focused book clubs, particularly." *beams*

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Antics & Etc

Adventures, Girl on a Wire, Little Movies, Lois Lane / By /

Deadlineville here, so mostly this is a quick wave, but a couple of fun things from the weekend.

I was at the Books by the Banks festival Saturday, where I met many fabulous readers and other writers and got to catch up with some old friends. Many thanks to the excellent Joseph-Beth Booksellers, festival staff and the great volunteers. Also! There was a Teen Scene event with the local circus school and I got to do this:

 

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I wire-walked!

View on Instagram

Thanks to those who assisted me, both in staying upright and in grabbing the video and some photos. (Yes, I'm using Instagram a lot more now that I have a  phone that will, um, use the app without crashing.)

Annnd there was this, which made my yesterday:

 

*beam* And now back to work on said pass! If you're going to the Kentucky Reading Association conference, I'll see you there on Friday.

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Three Things: Clown Noses, Girls on Wires + Schedulizing

Adventures, Artsy, Girl on a Wire / By /

Home again, home again. With three things to report.

Thing The First:

The Virginia Highlands Festival was a complete delight; such a warm welcome from the creative writing day committee, and a series of truly fun events with fabulous writers and great, engaged audiences. Plus, I got to see the Greenman Press studio, and hang out with Karen and Charles Vess, and see the giant, gorgeous statue and fountain "Midsummer Play" that Charles designed and constructed across from the Barter Theater. It doesn't get better than that. I shared these photos elsewhere, but doing so here for kicks (and to begin the chronicle of the season of Girl on a Wire promoting).

These were my first readings from the circus book as a finished thing, and so it was a mega-relief that people seemed into it. I did the prologue for our first reading event, but for the joint workshop Charles and I did — me reading, while he drew projected on the screen behind me — I read from chapter eight, and Jules' first big outdoor stunt walk. The result:

 

GoaWsketch

 

(He says now after thinking more about it, he'd draw her face on, instead of heading into the relative safety of the bridge tower. But I all-but-gasped when I turned around and got a look at this, the tilt of the perspective makes me feel the nerves for her.)

And this sketch from before we started, which is totally getting framed and hung in the office:

 

JulessketchbyCVess

 

Oh, and then there was the nice older lady who carries a stockpile of clown noses (she once toured Russia as part of a clown troupe — with Patch Adams, apparently, so ack). She gave me, Charles, and Rita Quillen ones after our reading the first afternoon, and then helped direct the camera for a selfie, which came out a little skewed.

 

Clownnoses

 

And yesterday I got to talk at the local library to a room packed with young writers, who asked smart questions. It was an honor and a blast to be a part of all these events.

GoaWThing The Second:

Galleys — e- and print — of said circus book are limited, but if you need an early copy because you're a reviewer or a librarian, etc., then please to let me know, preferably in the next few days. I can make it happen. And for everyone else, it'll be here before you know it. Definitely before I do.

So. Soon. Where has this year gone? ACK.

Kirkus says: “The mystery is tense and nerve-wracking, and the acrobatics are gorgeously hair-raising.”

And the publisher made a teensy tweak to the shading on my name and "a novel," which gives me an excuse to post the cover again. *pets*

Thing The Third:

Here's my preliminary Dragon Con schedule (subject to change), with two panels and a reading. I hope to see a bunch of y'all there later this month.

Title: Urban Fantasy in YA
Description: We love a little magic, monsters, super powers—but rooted in the real world. What makes a compelling urban fantasy, and what are your faves?
Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: A707 – Marriott
(Tentative Panelists: Delilah S. Dawson, Gwenda M Bond, Cinda Williams Chima, Bonnie Kunzel, Mari Mancusi)

Title: Reading: Gwenda M Bond
Time: Sat 1:00 pm Location: University – Hyatt

Title: Beyond Genre: Behind the Boom of Realistic YA Fiction
Description: The Fault is Our Stars is just the tip of the iceberg—realistic YA fiction is booming, and there’s a lot to love beyond genre.
Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: A707 – Marriott
(Tentative Panelists: Stephanie Perkins, Gwenda M Bond, Debbie Viguié, Michelle Hodkin)

And that's the three things. Now back to work!

Three Things: Clown Noses, Girls on Wires + Schedulizing Read More »

Upcoming Events – Highlands Festival

Adventures, Girl on a Wire, Real Life / By /

VHF-2014ThemeI've been experiencing a minor swarm of deadlines since we got back from Lisbon (oh, what a gorgeous city–it was fabulous), and so scarce around these parts. But I did want to drop a post to say if you're in or around the Abingdon, Virginia, area, well, I will be too Sunday through Tuesday, Aug. 3-5, for the Virginia Highlands Festival's Creative Writing Days. You should come out to some events and say hi.

I've never been to the festival before, and I can't wait. Whee!

Here's where you can catch me there:

  • Sunday, 3-4:30 p.m. – "Words and Music: Classical Music Sunday": Readings by three of the Writers’ Day participants: poet Rita Quillen and fantasy writers Charles Vess and Gwenda Bond will alternate with classical music performed by Keith Hungate, violinist, and James Spraker, pianist. (Books will be available and so will we to sign afterward.)
  • Monday, 8 a.m.-5 pm. – Writers' Day (follow the link to see the full schedule of fab stuff, get locale info, and register):

    – 1:15-2:45 p.m. workshop with me, "How Do We Change the World?" Capturing reality can seem challenging enough, so let’s discuss some ways to approach work that departs from it. Whether you’re a beginning writer or just looking to try out something new, we’ll talk about how to get started writing fiction and fantasy stories. (This will be fun: promise.)

    – 3 p.m. Gwenda Bond and Charles Vess, combined workshop: Our combined workshop will be a continuation of what Charles is exploring in his previous session, “What Does That Word Look Like Anyway?” Only this time, the audience will experience Gwenda reading from one of her stories as Charles draws what he sees there.  Before and after we can discuss the effect that a vivid descriptive passage can have on the reader, and how just a few well-chosen words can pull the reader into a writer’s world and keep them wanting more. (Ed. note: How excited am I about this particular session? Charles is basically my hero, and so that's how excited.)

  • Tuesday, 11 a.m.-noon – Creative Writing Youth/Teen Workshop with me, at the Washington County, Va., public library: As always, the public library wants to get readers excited about books and provide an opportunity to encourage young writers. This program is for middle and high school students, but all ages are welcome. Refreshments will be provided. (Refreshments, y'all. Just saying.)

And, yes, I'll definitely be giving a preview of Girl on a Wire (aka the circus book) in my readings. So…y'all come! If not for me, then for Charles Vess. Because HE IS AMAZING, as we all know.

More soon — including, oh *whistles innocently* about Secret Project. SOON.

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Hello From Here

1 Comment / Adventures, Real Life / By /

My workspace here

So far all I’ve managed is to edit down a prologue (openings are delicate and tricksy!) — but having a great time in Lisbon. And loving my little workspace.

More photos of this glorious city and our adventures here can be found in this flickr album I'm updating daily. Far too many, admittedly. Shoot now, curate later, I say.

Thanks, everyone, for the generous reaction and comments here and there on the last post. Happy it resonated. Now time for one of those decadent vacation lunches, with a little copo of wine.

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Back!

Adventures, Excuses, Excuses / By /

Okay, big deadlines vanquished, I'm back–no, really, to more regular posting here, I swear. Hopefully, a couple of times a week. So, if there's something you'd like me to post about, then feel free to say so and I will do my best.

And even though it's old news now, just wanted to say what a fabulous time the Southern Kentucky Book Fest in Bowling Green was. I will definitely go again.  Sarah Combs and I had a sleepover at the cute conference hotel, then breakfast with Alma Katsu, who it's always a pleasure to see. And it was a delight meeting and gabbing with my signing-table neighbors, Julie Kagawa and Elizabeth Fama (see inept selfie evidence below), as well as to meet Courtney Stevens, M.G. Buehrlen (fellow SC author!), C.J. Redwine, and as always to see the friendly faces of Kristin Tubb, Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, and Katie McGarry. I'm sure that I'm forgetting someone, so mea culpa; I plead a fuzzy memory.

Festivals like this are a blast to do, but also exhausting–due to hours upon lovely hours of sitting and chatting with people and generally being on. So, of course, it was a great idea to drive six hours from Bowling Green to the Bat Cave in N.C. for the annual retreat. But it was okay, because Courtney and I could caravan at least (she's the best, by the way), and giggle like maniacs when we stopped for car-window convos about how we were lost, even if we were about to take a turn down Murder Lane. Obviously we avoided Murder Lane, by looking for landmarks besides mirrors in the dark, and were eventually greeted by our wonderful fellow retreaters with wine and lasagna.

This is the third year of Bat Cave retreating, and it's really one of the best weeks of the year. So productive, so fun, so great. This year hugs and shout-outs: Alan Gratz, Alexandra Duncan, Megan Miranda, Rebecca Petruck, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Courtney Stevens, and Cate Tiernan. I list these names so that I can tell you: If you haven't already done so, check out their work, stat.

And there's the food, made by Wendi Gratz:

And the terrifying sights in the Mardi Gras room that greeted Carrie and I each morning:

And lots of silly games:

(artist credit: Megan Miranda)

Anyway! Then it was home to a week of deadline fu; revision of Secret Project got turned in Sunday, along with a feature piece. Now thinking happy thoughts about working on a new YA I have barely even talked to anyone about (*secrets*precious*) and revising the middle grade (yay). And posting more here.

And I got many packs of the vintage circus stamps in prep for any necessary mailing for the GIRL ON A WIRE release, about which I'd better start planning soonish, I suppose. Other news? Hmmm… Oh, updated events page, because I'll be going to DragonCon over Labor Day weekend. And I'll be at Wiscon next weekend over Memorial Day, actually, and will post my schedule there soon. There will definitely be a little reading from the circus book. This Saturday, I'll be doing not one but two local storytimes for Indies First day–at Morris Book Shop earlier and at Joseph-Beth Booksellers later on (with Sarah Combs). 

I also PROMISE SWEAR I'm going to do an inaugural newsletter this weekend, so if you haven't signed up for it and want it: do. Probably happen quarterly, unless there's Big News.

That's all the catch up I have to catch up for now.

ETA: Due to needing to stick close to home and help out with family things, we will not be at Wiscon this year. Next year for sure.

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