Lilith Saintcrow

It’s release week for Jealousy. I am a bundle of nerves. I am always a bundle of nerves on release week.

Anyway, I’m over at Bitten By Books today; there’s an interview with me and a contest for an Amazon gift card; plus I’m answering questions all day! You read that right–I will be dropping in over there all day and tomorrow morning to answer questions in the comments. Plus, in the interview, I get to talk about the first story I ever really wrote and jobs I’ve held. It promises to be a lot of fun, so hike on over and take a look if you’d like.

It’s been ninety-plus degrees here for the past few days, and the sky is that peculiar deep hot starving blue it gets in summer. I am thanking the gods for air conditioning, struggling to stay hydrated, juggling two new books, and about to start revision on a third–and, of course, gearing up for release week madness.

*stares longingly at bottle of whiskey*

*goes back to work*

See you ’round.

I’ve been hard at work on a project that’s under tight deadline–you know, when you get invited in because you’re someone’s Only Hope, things can get crazy. As Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi both found out. Heh.

So, first of all, I’m announcing the winners of the two signed copies of Jealousy! With the help of Random.org, I picked two commenters. The books go to:

#33, KLD, who said: So, so, so, so, so excited for Jealousy to come out! Huzzah!

And #67, A. Rick, who said: I am so excited for Jealousy!!!

Me too, guys! Me too. Now, listen carefully: use this link to drop me an email with your snail-mail addresses and I will get the books posted for you. You must, as I said, be in the US.

I’m chasing my own tail trying to get this thing finished and turned in on short notice, so that’s it for today. Go forth and be awesome, dear Readers. Today is your day.

Over and out.

ETA: This just landed in my inbox–a chance to win the upcoming Dark And Stormy Knights anthology! Come on, you know you want it…

How can I have a cold when it’s a hundred degrees outside? I ask you, how? Maybe it’s the mosquitoes. Several people have mentioned how the little buggers seem to be particularly bad this year. I believe the term used was “MUTANT ZOMBIE MOSQUITOES FROM HELL, Jesus!” And I heartily agree. I’m welted up all over.

Anyway, I have great news and some links.

I’ve officially finished the zero draft for Strange Angels 5. This is the end of the series, and I cried like a baby last night when I wrote the last few chapters. My laundry pile is threatening to eat the living room and I just spent a couple hours weeding through email correspondence that I literally haven’t had time to touch for the past week. The race to finish the book meant dumping 4-5K out every day for the past four days–not that I’m under serious time constraints, because the first draft isn’t due for a couple months at least, but the story had taken me over and it wanted out.

It’s called a zero draft because it needs work before it turns into a reasonable first draft that I can send to my editor without cringing. Of course, I’ll cringe anyway. That’s just how it works–the instant I hit the “send” button, I am assailed by the “what if they don’t LIKE it?” tsunami. But before I can do that work and regard the zero draft as just raw material, I have to set it aside. I’m thinking this book needs to be completely out of my head for at least a month before I will have enough emotional distance from it to go back and see some of the flaws enough to correct them.

Now I’m firmly in the snapback phase, which is what happens to me after I’ve focused all this emotional, mental, and physical energy on finishing a book. I’m pretty much exhausted on all three levels, but the engine in my head is still whirring and pulling. It hasn’t calmed down yet; I’m still feeling the reverberations. So I’ll need a day or so to let the force bleed off and return my brain to normal. (Yeah, I know. Or as close to normal as my brain ever gets.)

The other news? Guess what arrived the other day. Go on, guess.

Some shiny new copies of the third Strange Angels book, Jealousy, due for release on July 29! Which means tomorrow there will be a giveaway for two signed copies on my Deadline Dames Friday writing post. Plus, I’ll be sending out a newsletter soon (I haven’t sent one out in months–sorry, Dark Siders! It’s been a bit crazy here.) And, because my faithful Dark Siders are so awesome, I’ll be running a giveaway for signed copies through the newsletter as well. Exciting, no?

Now for the links:

* Mario Vargas Llosa on why literature isn’t dead yet.

*Chapman/Chapman on failing harder.

* And in honor of Jealousy coming out, Graves appears on a list of hot boys over at Suzanne Young’s excellent blog. There’s also a Facebook release e-party gearing up.

That’s all I’ve got, dear Readers. My brain is mush. See you tomorrow.

I do have errands to run. I’m not going to run them. As a matter of fact, I am in full-fledged revolt against the idea of leaving the house today, not least because I suspect I will hurt someone if I go out. I am incredibly cranky today. I suspect I may be coming down with a cold, which only adds. So, today is short but sweet.

There’s an interview with me and giveaway for Strange Angels over at Tynga’s Reviews. Also, Issendai posted a followup to the sick systems post, in which s/he points out that it’s our virtues, not our vices, that keep us trapped in sick systems. Which is a good point.

There’s also a cranky agent cherrypicking the worst sentences out of his/her slushpile and putting them anonymously on Tumblr. I won’t lie. This amuses me mightily because I worked slush for a while. There will no doubt be another queryfail tempest in a teapot over this. We already know how I feel. In addition to being comedy gold, this is valuable advice, offered for free, about what NOT to do on a query. Nuff said.

I’ve got wordcount and proof pages to kick ass on today. One thing about being incredibly cranky: it makes me awful productive. Off I go, then. If you hear screaming, it’s just the Muse as I throw her in the traces and get out the whip. We’re taking no prisoners today.

Over and out.

I am proud as punch to announce the winner(s) of the Dame Smackdown!

You read that right. There’s winners all over. Actually, everyone wins, because as Dame Devon says…we have a tie!

That’s right. The readers stepped up and made their voices heard–they love both Dame Devon and me equally. This is very good, because it means ALL the readers win!

Because tomorrow, I will be hosting an excerpt of Dame Devon’s Magic At The Gate, and Dame Devon will be hosting the only excerpt of Jealousy I’m going to be able to give before the book goes on sale.

Now I’ve just got to choose which excerpt to tease you with. That will require some heavy thinking…

See you tomorrow!