I found my lost plot!

Well, my little hairy, purple alien smoke alarm story went off the rails, and then I realized my bull riding story was no better. I shelved the smoke alarm story, but the bull riding story, I think, is fixed. I hacked off the last two thousand words. Now, to the writing. That's the easy--and fun--part. Like so many other stories that tried to do too much, one of the things it needed was character consolidation. For a short story, never try to do with five characters, what can be done with two. I made his love interest and the loved one of the...well, I can't tell you that part...one in the same person. Voila! Instead of him getting gored by a bull and having to stay in hospital, he's only got broken ribs. Instead of being a raving alcoholic that takes a while to see the light, the trajedy already built in to the story becomes his bottom, and he's sober! It's so hard to switch gears between short and long form. It helps when I'm only writing and reading one or the other.

Meantime, that nasty bug has bitten again. Volunteeritis. I find myself doing way more stuff than I should be, while trying to still write and find a job. I'm currently doing stuff for Redwood Writers, Broad Universe, and Denvention. And trying to squeeze in my requisite critiques for Other Worlds Writing Workshop and reviews for Mostly Fiction. Did I mention Glendi? It's a two-day Ethnic Food Fair that I coordinate for my church. We have over two hundred people working to feed and entertain over two thousand attendees. Obviously, something will have to give when I get a job.

Tandem Reading and SF Reviews

Been doing some tandem reading these days. I finished one of the best books I've read in a while yesterday. And another good one today. And a review I wrote of another of my favorites just went up at Mostly Fiction today. Quite a literary day. If only I'd managed to get some writing done as well...

Yesterday I finished Louise Marley's The Maquisarde. Bravo! Marley knows how to produce well-rounded characters with inner conflicts and outer conflicts that transform them. A woman goes from famous musician to grieving widow, to a vengeful mess of a person who manages to function and help others to a humble servant doing penance to heroine. I'm in awe. Best of all? I get to meet her at SpoCon. :) Think her literary genius is contagious? I hope so!

I finished Tigerheart by Peter David today. I enjoyed it very much. If you like Princess Bride and Peter Pan, you'll love it. The narrator is quite a character. Look for the review soon at Mostly Fiction. In fact, go there now to read my review of The Key by Pauline B. Jones. It's a masterpiece. Jones is another author who can deliver rich characters that both change the world around them and are changed by it.

So, what am I reading now? Tandem reading again. Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn and Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma. The latter is a YA I'm reading for review at Mostly Fiction. The former, I'm reading because, hey, he's the guest of honor at SpoCon and I haven't read anything by him yet.

Truly Different, Truly Remarkable Novel

I finished Port Eternity, the first novella in Alternate Realities by C J Cherryh. Wow! What a ride it was. Very impressive blend of identity crisis, caste struggle, and nostalgia with rich characters in a future where the cloned servants' mistress sails through the stars on a ship, the insides of which are decorated after her fancy for the Arthurian Legend that has survived that far into the future. But what happens when the programmed servants learn of the legendary people they were named for? What happens when the ship is marooned, and the servants and those served face danger together? Brilliant!!

I love it when a book can utterly surprise me with something so different. Practice Effect by David Brin was another of those. He takes physics and turns it on its head and makes it work. Tools get better with use, even changing their molecular structure. Beautiful mix of fantasy and sf.

What's yours? What novel surprised and delighted you? Do tell!

Great Resources for Published Authors

I hate to just link and run, usually, but this was such a terrific find that I had to share. Enter the Octopus is the blog of Matt Stagg's , who is a publicist for the arts.

I especially enjoyed this post: Long Live the New Flesh: the internet, tribalism and book publicity.

I found him when I was going through my backlog of some 30 "Science Fiction Book Review" google alerts.

Just a reminder and to any new readers, visit my site for book reviews and where to find a reviewer: Ann Wilkes' Science Fiction Reviews List.

Shall I give you one more? Can you take it? There was great stuff over at Contrary Brin. When he puts together one of his link lists is mostly fascinating stuff to do with science and science fiction. And if you haven't read his books, you're really missing out. He's one of my all time faves. Especially the Uplift War series and Practice Effect.

Contracts, Dates and Deadlines

Just signed the author agreement for "The Rosary" to appear in a new fate anthology. They haven't named it yet, but it's really happening. It's also appearing in the upcoming RWC anthology: Vintage Voices: Four Part Harmony. So, I get a "two-for". "The Rosary" is a memoir about finding my sister.

If you're in the area, I have two more appearances this month. I'll be emcee and a reader at RWC's Odd Month Reading, "Heatwave", in Sonoma at Barking Dog, by Sonoma Mission Inn at 2PM on the 26th. More details at the RWC site here. Next night is Finbar's in Petaluma for Poetry, Pints, and Prose at Finbar’s Irish Pub emceed by Michelle Baynes. My friend, and 2006 Poetry Slam champ, Juanita Martin will be the featured reader. Finbar Devine’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, 145 Kentucky St., Petaluma. Phone (707) 762-9807 or (707) 762-9800.

August brings SpoCon in Spokane, WA the first through third. I'll be reading Friday, on a panel and signing Saturday. Then it's back to CA for the next RWC meeting on August 3rd.

August also looms large with a personal writing deadline. I have to get that PBR (professional bull riding) story whipped into shape by August 31 for the contest deadline. I'm also developing an interactive thing for kids to present for free at libraries and a talk for high schoolers to take on the road to area schools in September. It's back to Toastmasters I go for help in developing and honing my presentation. I love to talk to groups. I'm a ham.

Great news for Awesome Lavratt fans! I've started a sequel! A standard-sized novel with more adventures of Horace Whistlestop. So many people expressed a desire for more, I didn't want to disappoint. ;) And I have such fun writing it.