So, wow.

[truepenny]

There are a lot of y'all reading this blog.

I'm figuring it's time for one of those periodic getting-to-know-you posts. So if you'd like to introduce yourself, or you'd like to ask a question (any question, although I reserve the right not to answer), here's a superlative spot to do it at.

This is not a pressure-y kind of thing. Only an invitation.

And I'll reiterate a couple of things:

1. I almost never add people reciprocally. Because, well, I have 25 people on my reading list right now, and that's almost too many. There are many people whom I like and admire whose blogs I don't read. Apparently, I just need that processing power for something else.

2. I only reply to comments if I actually have something to say. However, I read all comments, and I am always, always grateful for them. (N.b., excluding the occasional and inevitable troll.) I forget to say that a lot, because sometimes I'm kind of a rotten excuse for a human being. But I'm definitely reading and interested.

So here. The lines are open and you're on the air.

Comments

[sagejupiter.livejournal.com]

Halloo. I'm a definate lurker here...absolutely in love with your books, and waiting for the next one much like a crack fiend for another rock...

Speaking of rocks...I'm a geologist from North Carolina, and your books help me seperate myself from the realization that making a career out of one's hobby can be a precarious balancing act. ^_^ A veritable battle between absolute enjoyment and HELL, if you will.

As for questions....do we get a teaser chapter before ~The Mirador~ is released?

*goes back to lurking*

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I will be putting up the beginning of The Mirador on my website, yes.

[writerjob.livejournal.com]

Howdi --

I'm a Historical Romance writer. I enjoy your blog immensely. Thanks.

[veromonster.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, last winter, my friend dragged me to a fiction reading for her creative writing class at A Room of One's Own in Madison and you were the speaker. We went in expecting the worst and were completely blown away. She picked up a copy of Melusine and we've been hooked ever since. :)

As for a question... How much longer do we have to wait for The Mirador?

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. That's just too cool for words. I remain intensely grateful to all of you for showing up.

Amazon tells me that The Mirador will be out August 7th. (Yes, Amazon knows more than I do about my publishing career. This is not uncommon.)

A Hello

[amayaxellia.livejournal.com]

Hello, I'm Heather. I'm Twi in the internet world.
I've enjoyed your work ever since I read Melusine when it first appeared on my library's "new books" shelf. I'm a bit of a stalker/lurker. When I find little things to obsess over, well, I do. I like reading blogs in general and yours is one of them. :D
Me? Well I'm a young nobody working on being a somebody. I enjoy odd things immensely, love thinking about revolutions, and hate winter.
I can't think of much more to say to you. :0
Good luck with all your endeavors; I know you will triumph!
In the meantime, I'll be in the shadows, waiting. :P

with shyness,
Twi

[poshlil.livejournal.com]

I like superlative. Ok, here. have random facts about me.

I'm Amanda, and don't speak Japanese, despite what my lj name makes people think. I'm 25, live in Australia and work in a bookstore where i'm desperately trying to convince our suppliers to put your book up on one of their lists. I manage the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section (and Computers, what the?), so i get to read brilliant things and call it working. This makes me incredibly happy.

I also read a lot of big chunky textbooks, because i'm doing a degree in Ancient History. They're less fun to read, but useful for whacking people upside the head with.

I only just found your lj (through the same girl i found your books through) - i will be one of those people who will post many comments, but won't have a tantrum if i don't get a reply. It's good to know they're being read though.

And that's enough about me. It's nice to (kind of) meet you. :)

[tainry.livejournal.com]

Another California girl. ^_^ Veterinary Technician. Avid reader, not quite as avid writer/artist anymore but I poke at things with sticks now and then and some of them still squirm.

[lost-romanov.livejournal.com]

i'm a college student, and i lurk here because i read your books and i think the things you have to say are interesting and perceptive.

as to the question: how do the folks you know/knew in academia react to your writing fantasy novels? and not settling down and writing more scholarly works? i think it's mad cool, but i can imagine how it would go over with a lot of people at my university...

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Mostly, I'm not in contact with the people I knew in academia (because I'm an antisocial anchorite, not because there was any sturm und drang or anything). The two friends I'm still in touch with both think it's pretty darn cool. My thesis director was upset, not because I was writing fantasy, but because I was leaving academia. She thought I should do both.

[squints63.livejournal.com]

I'm sort of a rotten excuse for a human being as well, but for a different reason, I judge books entirely by their covers. That is how i happened upon your book at the local bookshop. I couldn't decide if the cover (of Mélusine) was entirely hand painted or partly photographed. In the end, I took it home for further examination.

About a month later i found the book again while scavenging around for another book, and just couldn't put the book down. Practically the next day, i was out buying the hard cover to your last book, The Virtue. I like the smoothness of how you put your words together as each character, love how you don't over explain things, and give just enough detail that when i close my eyes i can fill up the rest of the city with my mind's eye.

Wow i'm overly gushing here, so I'll stop and hand write you a letter.

[litalex.livejournal.com]

Hm. I'm from Hong Kong, lived in California for about a decade or so, then moved back to HK. Picked up your first book while on a trip back to California to visit friends and have been hooked ever since.

Everyone I know (who's read the books) really like Mildmay, but although I'm pretty fond of Mildmay as well, I'm more or less half in love with Felix.

Just curious, when will sample chapters of the 3rd book be available?

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

March or April, it depends on how much of it my editor decides to let me put up.

[travellex.livejournal.com]

I'm in Melbourne, and waiting for The Virtu to come out in paperback, which is when my favourite Sci-Fi bookshop will order it in.

I heard about you and Melusine from a friend on my fandom journal - secondsilk. I started this journal when I travelled to Germany, and I'm looking to keep it going with reading, writing and art stuff.

I'm developing a body of art work on city space, and there's a short story course that I'm keen on. In the meantime I work one day a week in admin and as a casual research assistant. And organise a conference for Harry Potter fans.

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Hello, I'm retired and living in NE Wisconsin (and loving it, you betcha! even with the weather). Before that I developed software in Silicon Valley for a long time and before that I taught Classics here and there for a not very long time.

I love your books and enjoy reading your blog because it lets me learn a bit about what it's like to be a writer. For example, before I read your interview on Friday I just naturally assumed that the boys leapt together fully formed from your brain. But the actuality is more interesting.

A question, frivolous but I'd love to know, were you the Seymour Fellow?

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I think I missed a turn somewhere. Seymour Fellow?

[gooddamon.livejournal.com]

Hello. I'm Damon, and it's a pleasure to meet you. I live in Oregon, along with approximately 78 billion other writers, and found your erudite little corner of the web by way of jaylake.

I like the pretty words. You make the pretty words in your blog. Ergo, I read your blog.

[snuggly-llama.livejournal.com]

Greetings from Kansas. Your work is much more fun than law school. Felix and Mildmay helped preserve this llama from being turned completely into oatmeal by the legal pedogogical process. Kansas needs more big gay wizards. If you have any extras, please send them our way.

Sincerely,
Llama

[sparrow-wings.livejournal.com]

Hi! I'm currently flailing my way through university. I really loved Mélusine and The Virtu; I took them, along with a dozen other books, with me to Hong Kong last summer, and wound up reading just them, over and over again. And I read your LJ because your thoughts on writing (process and product) are neat and make me consider things I haven't before.

-- Raya

[hackerguitar.livejournal.com]

To start with, I read Melusine and enjoyed it tremendously. I'm an MA English/occasional writing teacher who was scared away from a Ph.D by the ferocity of elite-university English-department politics.

I have greatly enjoyed your non-book-related, somewhat academic entries. Your writing suggests a thoughtful and thorough mind, and a wonderful sense of humor.

Plus, this way, I'll know when the next book is available, which is a treat. Fortunately, your books seem to be find-able in Northern CA with relative ease.

[lenora-rose.livejournal.com]

I read for the moments you geek out, especially on literature or writing, ebcause I can't seem to get away from a fascination with writing theory. I keep being convinced I must have read every possible variation or concept on it, and people surprise me.

My question: The Mirador is coming up, then Summerdown*, and you've listed your first lines and planned short story and novella projects, but were any of those thoughts, glimmers, your next novel project after this? If not, do you have any ideas what's coming next?



*And I want them both in print now! Er, so to speak. I understand the bit about having to write the second one before that happens.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Oh, let me tell you, I'd be ecstatic if I could publish the darn thing without having to write it beforehand.

I currently believe that my next novel-length project will be The Sidhetown Tigers, about the first integrated elven-human baseball team. But, you know, contents may shift during shipping. There are at least three other novels making sad panda eyes at me from the wings.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Sarah,

I first encountered your work in the ToC of TOTU#26 (I was in there with you--Hi again). I picked up Melusine after reading your blog for a while, because it sounded like something I'd like. I'm now hooked. I like the discussions of your writing process. A few pro author bloggers have a tendency to boast about their writing and pat themselves on the back too much (I tend not to read their blogs) but you don't do that. You write about your characters, which is far more interesting.

-Sarah Totton

[pariyal.livejournal.com]

Hi; llygoden told me about you and you tend to say interesting things.

A question, lessee: whence your username?

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Hamlet, via The Children of Green Knowe (the ghost children have a pet mole named Truepenny because Hamlet calls the ghost of his father Truepenny . . . I've got the quote on my userinfo page), courtesy of (a.) my lousy eyesight, (b.) my photosensitivity, (c.) the fact that moles are wicked cool.

Oh, well then

[(Anonymous)]

Hello there! I'm studying design at a university in London. Having spent most of my childhood travelling around southern africa, I didn't have any permanent friends apart from my brother and my books. I got hooked on really really bad fantasy early on, and now I'm hooked on russian classics and really really good fantasy (your books :)). I like programming, gaming, art, music, and interesting writing, which is why I read your journal.
RJ

[karenthology.livejournal.com]

Hello! I'm K, writer and musician; I like your books and what you have to say about writing them, and that's basically why I came here. I'm an exceptional lurker, though, so this is my first comment.

And your epigraph? So true.

[daisakura.livejournal.com]

Hi there truepenny ^_^

Well here's a little self-intro and a 'how I found you and your books' story.

My name's Anna, I'm 20yrs old and I live in New South Wales, Australia. I hunted down your books in a not-so-local library after reading a wonderful review of it on mistful's livejournal. Really it's amazing that the library has them in stock considering the book stores around me don't!

After reading them and falling completely in love with both Felix and Mildmay, I ordered them both online from America's Amazon.com and I'm now lending them out to my friends (lilianvaldemyer from the comment above has one now :P). I just know they will adore your writing as well.

I found your journal when I typed Melusine into interests hoping to find a community or fellow livejournal fans. I nearly fell out of my chair when I found the author instead XD I think it's awesome that you keep an active livejournal! I love reading your updates and completely understand why you couldn't friend everybody or reply either.

So yeah, say hi to Felix and Mildmay for me! I can't wait to read more from them! ♥

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

Gillian Spraggs, English, best known as a writer on highwaymen (insofar as anyone has heard of me at all). Stumbled across your journal very recently; not entirely sure how, but think I noticed a comment you left on someone else's journal, followed it back and liked what I read. I read a lot of fantasy fiction; to be honest, hadn't come across your books before, but now I am looking forward to reading them.

[midnightsfall.livejournal.com]

Figure I may as well say hello now, as I'm dreadful about commenting and may never do so again, even if I read every one of your entries. ^^;

A friend of mine read Melusine (My spellchecker insists that that word should be limousine, which is amusing) and insisted that I do too, despite the fact that my local bookstores don't carry it and my library doesn't have it. (Well, the local branch, and I'm far too lazy to drive all the way to central- I don't like asking for books to be brought over, as they never tell you when they get there, and by the time you come for them, they've been sent back. If they were ever sent in the first place. Personally, I have my doubts). She's actually the one who found you, and spent days squealing over it, and poked at me until I, too, added you. ^^;;

I'm sorry to say that I haven't actually read Melusine yet, but that's because I'm still waiting for it to show up in my mailbox. Aaaany day now... It's been almost over two weeks, but the last day for shipping is the 28th. x.x I would hold my breath while I await it, but I suspect you wouldn't want to be responsible for that.

But, yes. I read the pages Amazon had up, and I really can't wait. You seem like a truly amazing author. I haven't had a book to look forward to since I realized Mercedes Lackey's new books read like they were written for small children.

... Oh, that's rather a lot of babble. I halfway hope you didn't read it all. I'd hate to waste that much of your time. ^^;;;

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I've been here, and I don't know now if it was via matociquala, brisingamen, or papersky. It's the internet--anything is possible.

And as you already know, I am the Fearless Porpentine Hunter of the Intarweebs.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Yes, and you are mighty!

[ex-chrisbil.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm new!

I'm actually not sure if we met at WFC, but Bear is a pal, and so awesome that I could hardly not add her writing partner to my list!

I live in London, and do all sorts of crazy.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

We didn't meet at WFC, because I wasn't there last year. I will be this year, if you're coming?