(no subject)

Jun. 29th, 2025 09:59 pm
[personal profile] martianmooncrab
I have a rash thats spreading, its from a heat rash and other factors gone wild. I have already had a medication issue (and ER visit) ... plus the Va pharmacy thinks I am using up the ointments at a faster rate than they think is allowed. sigh.. I have a lot of ass to spackle there, so I calls into my primary care doctor.

waiting on my brain MRI to see if I still little friend free.... I do apprecaite their followups.

I did score a new upright walker this week, it folds down better and its bright blue!
catherineldf: (Default)
[personal profile] catherineldf
It's Twin Cities Pride this weekend and I'm headed in to do some preliminary setup this morning. It's been raining for days, with some more expected this weekend and 3 of the interstates are closed - what could go wrong? No, don't answer that. At any, Queen of Swords Press will have a table in the Queer Writes Test/Zone (called different things on the map), space #496. I'm "between jobs" (out of work/taking a short break) as of 7/3 so if you can't make it to Pride and are up for buying a book or two, now would be a great time. Library requests help a lot too!

Readercon 34 - I will be attending (please buy a Pride StoryBundle if you can! My half of the curator's fee is funding my trip cash for July and these are some great books. We're also raising money for Rainbow Railroad too!). My schedule is here and I'm on everything from small press publishing to aging in sf to erotica and horror to doing a reading.  Looking for ward to it! Will I see you there? Let's get a meal/snacks.

I am also adding an October trip to Iowa City on 10/11 to accept a posthumous Laura Young Award for Jana from Guild of Bookworkers at their Standards Conference. That will be something of a whirlwind, but if you're in the area, breakfast on Sunday could be a thing.

I have a Seattle Worldcon schedule but it doesn't look quite baked yet. I also apparently promised a debut reading of Blood Moon, (Wolves of Wolf's Point #3) from some months back when I had 10K words...then had to revise and reset in a different character's head. Apparently, there will be a lot of writing in the next couple of weeks to get some things ready for readings at both cons!


Interview with DeWanda Wise

Jun. 27th, 2025 09:13 am
marthawells: Murderbot with helmet (Default)
[personal profile] marthawells
For Murderbot Day, a great interview with DeWanda Wise, about playing NavigationBot in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon:

https://www.nexuspointnews.com/post/interview-dewanda-wise

I had worked with Paul on Fatherhood. He literally texted me and was like, "do you want to play a murderous robot?"
duskpeterson: The lowercased letters D and P, joined together (Default)
[personal profile] duskpeterson

A long, windowless corridor leads into the royal sanctuary. The corridor's entrance is next to a walled-up gateway that originally led directly into the courtyard of the royal residence. The corridor itself is kept deliberately unlit, to recreate the circumstances under which captives were led here before being enslaved. Just walk toward the light at the end of the corridor to reach your destination.

[Translator's note: A chase takes place in that corridor during Death Mask.]

Sidetracks - June 26, 2025

Jun. 26th, 2025 10:24 pm
helloladies: Gray icon with a horseshoe open side facing down with pink text underneath that says Sidetracks (sidetracks)
[personal profile] helloladies posting in [community profile] ladybusiness
Sidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share with each other. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag. You can also support Sidetracks and our other work on Patreon.


Read more... )
catherineldf: (Default)
[personal profile] catherineldf
Well, I'm hella tired. So sleep and doing odds and ends are looking very appealing. Also writing and editing. I'm signing up for various workshops and classes and just came across a developmental editing class that I signed up for...a year ago. I should probably finish that. In a couple of weeks, I will be looking for editing, teaching, speaking, writing gigs, but I definitely need to recharge a bit. Let me know if you're interested in my sundry nonIT skills. For the IT end of things, my contracting company will keep looking and the very large healthcare co. that currently rents my services has expressed interest in having me back in another capacity so we'll see if anything works out there. In the next couple of weeks, I have vending at Twin Cities Pride this weekend (500,000+ people, 3 day marathon - come see us at the Queer Writes Tent in Loring Park!), the Inbound Book Fair for Grownups in 2 weeks (4-5000 people last year, 2 day marathon - come see us at the Fairgrounds in the Education Building!), followed immediately thereafter by Readercon (my schedule is lit!). Then back for a couple of weeks, then off to Seattle for Worldcon. Somewhere in there, I will freak about money if I haven't figured something out, but I also figure I've been planning for this for the last year and if I don't seize the moments where I can, when will I?

New Interview

Jun. 24th, 2025 11:46 am
marthawells: Murderbot with helmet (Default)
[personal profile] marthawells
Great interview with Murderbot executive producer Andrew Miano:

https://www.nexuspointnews.com/post/interview-murderbot-ep-andrew-miano

First and foremost, my partner Paul Weitz read the book for pleasure, not with any eye towards adaptation, and came in with it and said, "this would make an amazing TV show." We all read it and really sparked to it and thought it was unique and special and funny, which is not something that you always get in a lot of sci-fi. [It is] also very meaningful and emotional. It was the whole package so it was very exciting and we went about it. We met Martha... One of the biggest things to focus on is how do you honor the book? How do you translate that to the screen? It's not easy, but I'm very fortunate to have Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz — two smart, talented partners — creating and running the show with their guidance and Martha's support and involvement to sort of capture and stay true to the books.
duskpeterson: The lowercased letters D and P, joined together (Default)
[personal profile] duskpeterson

The best place to start your visit to the royal sanctuary is at Jackalfire Grove, just outside the door leading to the sanctuary. At one time, this grove of jackalfire trees was smaller, overlooking the so-called burning ground, where some of the worst events in Koretian history took place.

It is here, from the time of Koretia's earliest days, that god-cursed men and women were stoned to death. It is here that, in recent centuries, disobedient slaves were burned alive. And it is here that, during the ninth, the King of Koretia was slain by a rival in one of the many blood feuds that rent the fabric of Koretian society.

All of these atrocities – stoning, burning alive, and blood feuds – were abolished by the Emorians during their occupation of Koretia. Their abolition was confirmed by Koretia's present ruler, the Jackal, when he ascended the throne. Yet only two generations have passed since the outlawing of the most pernicious aspect of the Koretian gods' law. Many residents of Koretia's capital still remember the festive crowds that used to gather here when a god-cursed man or woman was stoned, or when a slave was burned alive.

Not surprisingly, most Koretians today avoid visiting this grove. Paradoxically, the Jackal encourages visits here, especially by families with children who like to play amidst the trees. It is his way of turning evil to good.

Before leaving, be sure to pluck a twig or leaf from one of the jackalfire trees. Bring it with you to the royal sanctuary.

[Translator's note: One of the terrible events in Jackalfire Grove occurs in Death Mask.]

(no subject)

Jun. 19th, 2025 01:37 am
[personal profile] martianmooncrab
I want to protest in front of an ICE building with marines in it holding a sign that says YANKEE GO HOME

And here we go again...

Jun. 17th, 2025 08:48 pm
catherineldf: (Default)
[personal profile] catherineldf
Which sums up so much, really. In a very short time last week, the following things happened:
  • I successfully sold one of Jana's design bindings (my personal fav, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) to a book collector. Not the institution I had hoped for but still good news and very helpful.I also managed to rehome/sell a bunch of her reference books and remaining tools with someone else who was one of her students and a colleague.
  • I got news that Jana is getting a posthumous Laura Young Award from the Guild of Bookworkers this year in Iowa City. One the one hand, this is "Yay! Awesome!" and very well-deserved, On the other, I am kind of resentful that this recognition couldn't have come in the Before Times so she could have enjoyed it, given that was when she did the bulk of the work that is being honored. But so it goes. Now I have to figure out how I'll fit in a trip to Iowa City in October, especially as I may be unemployed.
  • Because that is the other thing that happened on the same afternoon last week. I got word that my contract wasn't going to be extended so I'm out on 7/2. On the one hand, this fairly toxic project was starting to be bad for my mental health, especially after what I've been through already this year. On the other, super fond of the paychecks and not yet in a position for retirement to be more than a good joke amongst friends. And, of course, Readercon (midJuly) has been a goal for ages and is partially paid for and Worldcon in Seattle (mid August) is paid for with the exception of hotel, food and sundries and I have a roommate and a friend to travel on the train with, so cancelling is not on the table.
  • I did go to 4th Street Fantasy over the weekend and had a perfectly nice time with friends. And I wore my Alice B. Readers' medal pinned to my chest like a Napoleanic general all weekend because I'm not going to get another lifetime achievement award (in all likelihood) so I'd best appreciate it while I can.
  • I had a really nice queer elder moment this weekend. A local young person is trying to spin up a homemade scones delivered by bike business that I have ordered from a few times and they reached out on Sunday to ask if they could stop by to give me some scones since they had extra from their last sale. We had a nice chat and i enjoyed the intergenerational bonding. Will try and do more of this!
  • I watched "Ballerina" and "In the Lost Lands" in the last week and they are both terrible in different ways, but also action-packed and entertaining fun. Very, very high body count and quite gory if those are things you wish to avoid.
  • Things that would be helpful as I embark on another effin' round of job hunting:
  1. Job referrals for analyst gigs - as much WFH as possible. Shu is not doing well and I'd need to pay someone to check on him otherwise (this is what I do when I have all day events, given his shot schedule).
  2. Check out the Pride StoryBundle - buy one if you can, encourage your friends to do the same, recommend it to others and boost if you can't buy. Melissa and I split the curator's fee so the more we sell, the better we do. It also means more money for the publishers and authors as well as for Rainbow Railroad so very much a win/win.
  3. Hire me! I edit, I coach people on publishing and marketing, I can format ebooks, give talks, teach classes and workshops and all that good stuff. I write fiction, nonfiction and media tie-ins - invite me to write or edit for your project!
  4. I have a Patreon that supports both me and Queen of Swords. The tiers are nonsense at this point - everybody gets something and any amount helps.
  5. Buy books or get your library to buy Queen of Swords Press titles. Reviews and recommendations help lots too!
  6. Stay tuned - I'll be putting stuff up for sale online, including finally getting Jana's boxes up on my Ko-fi. I'm looking at article pitches and CFS and crowdfunding a Queen of Swords Press project. Oh, and finally writing that next novel and digging into writing a new short story collection and more.
Am I aware of what's going on in the outside world? Yes. Doing what I can to make things better where I can, but I also gotta consider what happens to me, my cats and so forth so that needs to be the priority. Hugs all around if you need them.

Things Coming Out Next

Jun. 16th, 2025 01:49 pm
marthawells: (Witch King)
[personal profile] marthawells
Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology

Out in ebook and paperback on July 1. My story is "Data Ghost"

https://bookshop.org/p/books/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology/a74b320486117220?ean=9798992595406&next=t

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/storyteller-a-tanith-lee-tribute-anthology?sId=e0bafab6-32a8-4ffb-9436-2dcda473349c

Edited by Julie C. Day, Carina Bissett, and Craig Laurance Gidney. Stories by Martha Wells, Andy Duncan, C.S.E. Cooney, Nisi Shawl, Mike Allen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, CL Hellisen, Maya Deane, Rocío Rincón Fernández, Theodora Goss, Getty Hesse, Starlene Justice, Amelia Mangan, Michael Yuya Montroy, Marisca Pichette, KT Wagner.

Sixteen new stories from some of today's most renowned authors. All inspired by the master storyteller Tanith Lee.

Drowning cities and unicorns. Burning deserts and forgotten gods. Golems, elf warriors, and inner-Earthers. Alien lifeforms and museum workers. Ancient plagues and the future of humanity. The familiar and the fantastical. Each story in this anthology is both unique and compelling: from fairy-tale retellings to romance-tinged high fantasy, from nihilistic horror to gripping science fiction. Immersive, wide-ranging, and sublime, Storyteller features worlds and characters that are sure to travel with you long after the last page has been read.



***


Short Story: "Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy" by Martha Wells

will be available on Reactor Magazine on July 10

Illustrated by Jaime Jones
Edited by Lee Harris

Perihelion and its crew embark on a dangerous new mission at a corporate-controlled station in the throes of a hostile takeover...


***


Summer of Science Fiction & Fantasy: Martha Wells in conversation with Kate Elliott

https://www.clarionwest.org/event/summer-of-science-fiction-fantasy-martha-wells-in-conversation-with-kate-elliott/


July 30 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm PDT

The Clarion West Summer Reading Series will be held virtually and streamed live over Zoom during the Six-Week Workshop.

Join us for our final event, a conversation between Martha Wells and Kate Elliott!

This event will begin with a conversation between Martha and Kate. There will be time to take questions from the audience. Participants will be able to submit questions in the webinar.



***


The New Yorker announced "Platform Decay" will be the next Murderbot novella. No word on publication date yet.


***


Grimoire: A Grim Oak Press Anthology For Seattle Worldcon 2025

https://grimoakpress.com/products/grimoire-a-grim-oak-press-anthology-for-seattle-worldcon-2025

My story is a fantasy called "Birthright" which is reprint that's not currently available anywhere else.


***


Queen Demon, the sequel to Witch King, second book of the Rising World, is up for preorder and will be released in ebook, audiobook, and hardcover on October 7.

From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.

Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?

And can he trust his companions to do what's right?


Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/queen-demon-martha-wells/21751501?ean=9781250826916

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-demon-martha-wells/1146167707?ean=9781250826916

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/queen-demon

Audiobook Libro.fm https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250291981-queen-demon

Bakka-Phoenix (indie bookstore in Canada): https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/item/3Czr8TaWU9-_fwJ25ytSCw

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Jean Marie Ward

May 2022

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