Well, I'm not gonna lie. It's been a rough month indeed as Eytan and I sit daily at the foot of my mom's bed and try to bang out pages (from our third book) as fast as she can read 'em. When the smoke clears I'll be writing about some the more interesting aspects of this oddly perfect storm of dying, deliverables, and bucket lists versus f@#! it lists. In the meantime I've managed to corral a few authors to drop in and leave some of their insights and experiences about finally getting published. This week it's a dear friend of mine from Northern California, named Gail Carriger who recently had her first book, Soulless, published. I'm also proud to report that less than one month out it's already on its second reprint! Go Gail. And lastly, I'd just like to say that I'm finding the book an absolute joy to read. Paranormal romantic steampunk novels are not my cup of tea (case in point: this would be my first) but such is the way of things in new authordom (as in any industry) - you link me, I link you. The danger of course, is what happens if you hate theirs? Fortunately, in this case, that wasn't the case. 

So without further ado, welcome to Gail's fantastic voyage.

And as usual thanks for listening,

Dani


First Shelf Sighting ~ Gail Carriger
 
The first time I saw my book on a shelf in a bookstore it wasn't in person. Instead, there it was, blurred by cell phone camera inefficiency, taken by one of my twitter followers in Minnesota. It was a week before Soulless was supposed to be released, so both she and I were taken entirely unawares and understandably confused.
 
Well, it turns out, bookstores can do that with certain books: shelve 'em when they get 'em. No gag order. Mine was one of those books.
 
A small but enthusiastic following had been anticipating Soulless, and they we quite a buzz to find it arriving early. Suddenly, the spies-I-didn't-know-I-had went to work and began reporting in from around the country. Soulless spotted in Indiana! In Texas! In New York! Thousands panic! (Oh, wait, different headline.) And then, finally, a dear friend snapped a shot if it in my home state of California.
 
A day or so later I was out shopping with a couple of girlfriends, as you do. We were consuming those Vietnamese beverages with the black tapioca in them, affectionately referred to by me as "Drinks with Stuff!" This process, three shopping females plus drinkies, involves much chittering and slurping and sideways perambulations. And thus engaged, we wandered by a Borders.
 
"Ooo," says I, "can we go in and see if they have my book?"
 
And so we do. And there it was! The chittering and the slurping became more enthusiastic as a result, which attracted the attention of one of the green t-shirted staff.
 
"Can I help you?" says she.
 
"That's my book!" I crow.
 
"Would you like to sign it?" says she. Crazy authors, she's thinking.
 
"Really? Of course! I'd love to."
 
And so she disappears and returns with a whole stack for me to sign, right there: Drink with Stuff! in one hand, cheap pen in the other.
 
As we leave the store one of my friends keeps saying. "I can't believe they didn't' ask you for ID or anything."
 
"Oh, of course," says I, "because there's a mad plague of crooks masquerading as small time authors dashing into unsuspecting stores and demanding to sign books they haven't written."
 
"Well, fine. But it'd be pretty funny if there were."
 
And with that I leave you to ponder what is obviously an untapped criminal market.
 
~ GC

My goal when starting this blog to was let my fellow writers/readers in on both the ups and downs of early authorhood. As I experience it for the first time so do you. So for every "begging" to be invited to a con, pleading for a panel (we were on only one at Worldcon...I tracked down the program director and got her to put us on 5 more), for every cash-strapped decision you'll make about what con to attend and for every time you may feel thoroughly out gunned on a panel...you'll sometimes get a day like I got yesterday. A magic day.

I got an email with 22 words then moments later one with 169.

The first was from Robert Sawyer - Hugo Award winning author.
The second was from Jane Oliver, moderator of a panel I'm on about time travel.

Robert's was a response to me from an earlier email I'd sent to him commenting on his latest book, "Rollback." (http://sfwriter.com). Robert, it should also be known, wrote a blurb for our book. I hadn't realized until I'd finished reading his latest novel a few days ago just how incredible a story it was and just how fortunate I felt that a writer of his skill and renown had deigned to write something about us...and I told him so. His response was one of thanks.

The second email however really blew me away. Jane sent it out to all the panelists, to in her words, "get the ball rolling" on suggestions for the panel. And here's what floored me. In addition to Eytan and me, cc'd on the list (as fellow panelists) were best selling author S.M. Stirling and 9 time hugo, 8 time Nebula award winner Connie Willis.

Though I knew a few weeks ago that we'd be seated with these big guns it hadn't hit me until yesterday what that meant. We'd been tossed into a "whaddaya think" email with this lot and quite frankly I was stupefied. As soon as I got the email I called my brother and "holy shitted" the poor bastard for at least 20 minutes.

And this is the funny thing. When I posted about panels (see: suddenly I'm not so smart) I hadn't realized the other caveat. The person sitting next to you might be just as intimidating as the crowd gathered round you. Great; cornered. (P.S. I'm rushing to the library today to read up on Ms. Willis!)

You write for moments like this. You write and don't ever give up writing so that one day the impossible happens. One day they allow you to play in the sandbox - even when you don't feel you deserve it.

I'm only now beginning to realize that that this one-year build up to the book release may be more than just an interminable wait. It may be this series of "holy shit" moments that make you into what you've always wanted to be. I hope I never lose this "kid in the candy store" mentality. I hope I never stop dreaming.

Have a great weekend, all.

Dani
P.S. Shout out to my friend, fellow writer and now...yes... author! Gail Carriger who appeared in the latest edition of Locus under "Books Sold" (http://gailcarriger.livejournal.com/49743.html). Whoohoo!