Randomness for 10/14

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1) E.E. Knight explains “modeling” and bookshelf presence. There’s always something knew to learn about writing and selling books.

2) Honda unveils Segway-like unicycle. Tremendously awesome and tremendously uncool at the same time. via Genreville

3) Buy your own secluded Bond-villain hideaway! If this had been built in the woods instead of the desert, I’d be showing it to my wife. via seawasp.

4) The art and science of boiling perfect eggs. via Ezra Klein

5) Will climate change mean the near-extinction of basic food crops?

6) Here’s your word of the day: Procrasturbation: to waste time by pleasuring oneself. via Savage Love. Also discussed in that linked article is the ethics of sex with zombies.

This is why people buy cars

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Yesterday after taking my son on our usual swimming trip, we bought ourselves bus transfers and headed out to a few local bookstores to sign copies of Child of Fire.

Details and narrative behind the cut, along with a little talk about public transportation. Continue reading

Genreville Book Club

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The folks at Genreville are planning a Book Club discussion for next month, and there’s a poll to select which book it will be. Child of Fire is one of the options, so if you think you’d like to take part in the discussion, go on over and vote for it.

However, if you don’t want to join in the book club talk, please don’t vote. I’d hate for my book to win only to have absolutely no one show up to chat about it. It’d be a wasted opportunity.

Or you could vote for a different book. I guess. I mean, that option is there for you. If you want it.

Busy Day

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I’m about to drag my son out of bed to catch a bus, then we hit a few bookstores in town to sign stock. I would have done this last week if my copy edit hadn’t been due, but whatever. Things to do! Abouts to be rushing!

Randomness for 10/12

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1) MIT students build high altitude “space” camera on $150 budget. via jeffsoesbe. It’s an interesting story, but the “Take THAT!, NASA, you spendthrift!” tone is annoying.

2) Wealthy conservative crusader tries to eliminate local library, drives 11-year-old girl to tears.

3) Here’s a beauty from Awkward Family Photos.com. If you’re wondering what’s awkward about it, look again.

4) WWII GI returns rare books stolen from hidden German stash. via bookslut.

Craftspeople and artists at their work

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Here’s a newly recut trailer for 2012, with all the special effects removed. This lets you really focus on the acting.

via Andrew Sullivan

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Does anyone know of a web hosting/social networking site designed to let kids set up their own site? I happen to know a little person who does not want to use a folder on my personal site.

Go, little copy edit! Fly!

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Fly like the wind!

I just dropped the copy edit for Game of Cages off at the downtown Seattle post office. It ought to arrive in NY tomorrow, which is good because it’s due on Tuesday and Monday is a federal holiday.

::crosses another item off list::

Tomorrow is a family day, and Sunday I dig into the rough draft of Man Bites World.

Nobel Committee to U.S.A.: “Here’s a piece of candy for being our friend again.”

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“Please don’t scare us any more.”

Ha ha! Startling!

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I have a copy edit due on Tuesday, 10/13. It has to be there, inside the publisher’s offices, on that day. Express overnight mail, people!

Monday, 10/12, is a federal holiday, and all the post offices will be closed!

Luckily, I should be able to put it in the mail tomorrow.

ETA: (because I didn’t want to put this into a new post) My Amazon.com sales ranking for Child of Fire seem to be following a steady routine, at this point. Early in the day, about 8 am PST, the rank is around 14K. Later in the day, (say, about now) it’s up to 28K.

I know it doesn’t mean anything, but I wonder what it means. (I know: Nothing.)