Guest blogging at Magical Words

Stay out of trouble while I’m at Norwescon, folks! Or better yet, come to Norwescon and introduce yourselves! (Remember, if all goes well, I will have five advance copies of BLUE MAGIC to give away.) But if you can’t come, or you need a distraction, I’ve opened a delicious can of career planning worms over at Magical Words and would like to invite you to sample them.

Everyone loves a werewolf, am I right?

If it’s Tuesday, my Buffy essay must be up at Tor.com. It’s called “The Wonderful World of Oz,” (it’s about “Phases”) and if the overall lycanthrope vibe pleases you on this fine spring morning, consider having a look at my baby werewolf has two mommies story, “The Cage,” also at Tor.

This weekend I will be appearing at Norwescon in Seattle. I will be reading from Blue Magic, which is out in one short week (I hope to have a few advance copies to give away to lucky con-goers!) Here’s the rest of my schedule:

Friday, 10 am – Adventure Stories
Swashbucklers, pirates, oh my? What makes an adventure story different from other science fiction and fantasy stories? And, do most adventure stories get the action right?

Friday, 11:30 am A.M. Dellamonica reads Blue Magic
A reading from the sequel of the Sunburst Award-Winning Indigo Springs (Rated PG)
A.M. Dellamonica

Friday, 2 pm Interview and Q&A with Guest of Honor Stephen Baxter
Not gonna be there? Want me to ask Baxter something? Comment soon, comment often!

Saturday, Noon, The Blogger Effect
Has blogging ruined the fine art of editing? What do we gain (and lose) with publishing spontaneous writing? There is a growing network of SF/F professional and aspiring writers connected via a variety of blogging communities. Is it breaking down the barriers between pro, amateur, and fan-ficcer? Does it function as an informal online writers’ workshop, a support group, or a black hole of cat-vacuuming?

Saturday 3 pm Autograph Session

Saturday, 6 pm. What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Established SF/F writers discuss lessons they learned the hard way that they wish someone had told them when they were first starting out.

Here, there, everywhere!

Save the date, local peeps! There are now three short weeks to April 10th and the release of Blue Magic in trade paperback and electronic editions. If you’re here in Vancouver, there will be a launch on April 19th at the UBC Bookstore downtown, 800 Robson Street, 7:30 p.m. I’ll read, there will be at least one prize draw, and I’m working on getting in a special guest artist. Come one, come all!

In other news–if it’s Tuesday, Buffy must be in retrograde. I mean danger. Or is that Dawn? My rewatch of “Ted” and “Bad Eggs” is up at Tor.com.

Speaking of Buffy, my fellow BtVS fans and good friends Lizben gave me this fabulous Buffy TeeFury t-shirt on the weekend, by way of a belated birthday present. Isn’t it awesome?

All Imported-45

Buffy, Blue Magic, Werewolves… oh my!

This week’s BtVS rewatch on Tor.com is a grab bag of fun (but not so crucial) episodes like “Inca Mummy Girl” and “Lie to Me.” I’m going to do this periodically–gather up a few of the smaller building blocks of each season’s arc, rather than try to inflate each into its own towering essay. If one of these is your favorite, go add a comment! Tell me I’m a cad for ignoring your special eppie!

Seriously, the fannish discussions that have spilled out in the comments threads on these rewatches have been every bit as cool as the posts themselves. Right now, for example, we’re debating whether the early episodes had too much of a YA feel, and which TV shows (of the non-soap opera variety) were the first to do season-long arcs. Gardner Dozois has suggested The Fugitive. Anyone got anything earlier?

I’m a few weeks ahead on these posts, so my mission this week is to rewatch “Phases.” Which, I realize in retrospect, had an undeniable influence on my one werewolf story, “The Cage,” at least to the extent that there’s a baby werewolf mentioned in the Oz story.

It’s now 35 days until the Blue Magic release. I’m thinking that, if you happened to be planning to buy it from an actual bookstore, it’s probably not too early to ring them up and ask them to bring in a copy for you. (I tell you this not to pressure, but because in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto, people wrote me to say they had to wait a few weeks after the official Indigo Springs release to get it in a local store. Ordering in advance may help.) Or, if you’re local, there’s going to be a launch at the UBC Bookstore downtown… and I have a date: April 19th! Anyone who can make it is invited. Friends of anyone who can make it are invited! I will get back to you all on a time as soon as I’ve confirmed it.