Monday Meandering

I'm taking a break from Monday Men, as I'm running low on images. I didn't go to the flea market this month. I love going, even when I don't buy anything, but I was knee-deep in editing.

At least, the manuscript is getting closer for being ready for submission--currently with my critique partners. Assuming my editor likes the story, it'll be out with Samhain in January. Samhain has a long lead time, which can be frustrating, but on the plus side it means that I have final cover design and copies months before release. Spirit Sanguine will only come out at the very end of April but it has already gotten a review in the Library Journal and it's also available for pre-order both on Samhain's site and on Amazon. That kind of organization takes time.

Patience is not a virtue I possess, and this period before release is tough on me. I should start writing blog posts in anticipation, but procrastination is something I'm very good at.

In other news, I signed up for GRL via general admission. I didn't plan to. I'd told myself I don't need the expense. And then I pushed the register button. It was a clearly impulsive decision, like picking up a candy bar at the check-out lane. My main reason for going is to meet online friends, including my beta partner, Jo Myles.  I feel a slight apprehension too, because what if they discover I'm both ill-tempered and boring? I might have to stay drunk the whole time.

There have been a bit of rumpus over a GRL announcement recently, and I must say the wording of it was most unfortunate. It made a whole lot of authors—including me—feel like red-headed step children, which could've been avoided by a slightly different phrasing. However, the organizers' intent to make sure big name authors are present is makes sense. I'm not convinced that keeping the event small is the way to go, but that we could debate till dawn. Meanwhile, writers, like me, signing up with general admission will certainly negate the goal of making this as a readers' event.

I'm not going with a plan to promote myself. Most of the premium author perks sound like a nightmare to me, anyway. I don't enjoy being put in the spotlight. Reading anything is out of the question, and I can imagine the Q&A sessions and book signing where I sit at a table and no one has a question or book to sign. Shudder.