Ooh, technological thriller! Kickass female lead character! People jumping out windows and landing in swimming pools! I’ll let you know when this is published, because it’s a killer.
I love this book. God, I love this book. Have I mentioned that I love this book?
Kristine Oakhurst is having trouble writing the blurb for this book, and I do not envy her the task. One could say that “Tall Omaha” is “the story of a troubled girl, a disillusioned dealer, and a horse no one wanted”. One could say that. But one would be an idiot to do so because there is so much more to this story. If Great American Novels really exist, this is one of them. And the best news of all? She’s got a sequel AND a three-quel in the works!
I’m working on a really interesting story now, Bellevitus: In the Shadow of Julius Caesar by Charles L. Lonardo. Did you know that the ancient Roman big wigs had TEN THOUSAND improbably spelled names, 2 or 3 per guy? Yeah, neither did I. But they also had fabulous battles, in and outside of the senate — a ripping yarn!
I’ve finished my work on Brendan Halpin’s FABULOUS YA superhero novel “Enter the Bluebird”. I am really proud of being part of this book — it’s a terrific story and Brendan is a great writer. The book has gone out in electronic form to Brendan’s backers; I’ll be announcing a general publication date soon!
P.S. What is it with me and Superheroes?
So he can hire me to edit it! If any of you have seen the episode of Books and Beer I did last year with Evo Terra and Jeff Moriarty, you’ll have seen Brand come online in the Q&A session. Funny, funny, smart and funny. In response to a reviewer questioning the advisability of “Brand Gamblin” as a pen name, Brand said, “I agree — it would have been a terrible choice for a pen name… if it weren’t my real one.”
I edited Brand’s “Discount Miracles” last year, and when I heard from Brendan Halpin (Caution: Falling Names!) that he was doing a kickstarter to fund the publication of this one, I was all up in his grill right away: “So, got an editor? It’s… it’s me, isn’t it?” He allowed as how yes, he’d been hoping I’d be available. Although it’s POSSIBLE he was just trying to talk me down, I took his word for it.
I hope to be able to start work on Invitio Rex (the long-awaited sequel to The Hidden Institute) toward the end of the year. BUT! None of this happens without YOUR support. So please go to Brand’s Invitio Rex Kickstarter page and put your money where it will help two, count ’em, TWO independent businesspersons: Author Brand Gamblin, and Editor Yours Truly.
That’s all I would have wanted to know when I was a member of the YA demographic, but now I’m more interested in this article, “Maisy Dee’s ‘The Recipe’ and sex in YA lit.” Especially this part:
Tell me a bit about your journey with this book, and why you ended up self-publishing it.
Self-publishing allowed me to make all the creative decisions regarding the book and its packaging. Once I decided to go out on my own, I had a lot of fun with it, because I was lucky to know both a fantastic editor, Deborah Bancroft, and a top notch book designer, Jonathan Lippincott, so I had the resources to produce a really professional-quality book.
I love my work, I really do, no matter what I’m working on. But it’s a true honor to work on a book that, as the mother of daughters, I feel really proud to have been a part of. And for someone as gracious as Maisy Dee — I mean, really, who credits their editor and book designer (and, later in the article, her illustrator) in an interview of this length? Maisy Dee, that’s who.
So Mazel Tov to Maisy Dee! And for parents who would like their teenagers to get the idea that sex is important — but not so important that it can’t be funny, too! — this one’s for you. Here’s my favorite scene, in which Craig is talking to his Dad about the possibility of having sex with his girlfriend, Emily:
“I’m afraid I won’t know what to do, sort of. I kind of wish I had gotten some experience with someone I didn’t care about so much.”
“So you could blow her away with your expert moves?” teased Dad.
“Something like that,” I muttered.
“I’m not so sure Emily would appreciate your having had lots of experience. If you care about her, why not share these times with each other?” And as an afterthought, “Uh, I mean, when you’re both ready, like when you’re older.” I could tell Dad was trying to be the encouraging, confidence-building parent without, in fact, encouraging me to have sex with my girlfriend in high school. He wasn’t totally succeeding.
“But what if I’m terrible, and she thinks I’m totally lame? I don’t want her first time to suck.”
“Craig,” he sighed, “sex isn’t a performance, it’s a conversation. It’s a way of expressing feelings between two people. The main thing is to communicate with each other and listen to your partner. You’ll guide each other through it.”
We hiked silently for a long time. We passed the tree line, and reached the bare rock at the top of the climb. I took a 360 turn to take in the view, which was beautiful. Emily would like this, I thought. The next time we hike and she doesn’t have a game, I decided, I’m going to bring her.
ePublish Unum just published my article “Life After NaNoWriMo: What’s Next For Your Novel?” on their blog. Exciting! This is one of a series of articles that will eventually feed into an ebook, tentatively titled “Editors Explained”.
Congratulations to Ruth Carter! The Legal Side of Blogging: How not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed is a Kindle #1 best seller!
Must have been the impeccable editing! 😉
Ruth Carter has announced the release of the ebook I edited for her, The Legal Side of Blogging: How not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed. Here’s part of her announcement:
“My family and friends are participating in a collective book purchasing event (aka bum rushing the charts) to give my book a boost in Amazon’s rankings next Thursday, October 4th between 10am and 11am Pacific Time. If you’re planning on buying the book, you’re welcome to join us. And if you love the book, please leave me a review on Amazon.”
If you’re a blogger, you need this book. Seriously — there was so much in there that I did not know. Useful stuff, intriguing stuff, scary stuff. So sign up, show up, and pony up for Ruth!
I just finished editing Ruth Carter’s “The Legal Side of Blogging” ebook. Ruth is super-smart and great to work with, and the book is incredibly useful for any blogger. Seriously, this means you — there’s just a whole world of hot water you can get yourself in, and Ruth tells you how to get out.
Deborah Bancroft, Editor 