Tuesday, February 26, 2013

It's a Broad Universe! And also Local!



As many might know, I'm the current president of Broad Universe, an international non-profit dedicated to promoting, celebrating, and honoring women who produce (write, make art, etc.) science fiction, fantasy, horror, and everything in between!

I love Broad Universe - obviously. Seriously, I would not be where I am as a writer and editor were it not for the connections I've made in the organization.

One of the things that I've had the joy of seeing in my time on the Motherboard is the growth of the organization, particularly of chapters.  Granted, the fastest growing chapter is the one local to me - the New England (or really, Northeast since we include some New Yorkers) chapter. 

So, let me use this blog post to share some of the awesome things that are going around in my area thanks to the New England Broads!

Here's our website, done by the wonderful Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert:


And here's an ongoing game for anyone in the New England Area put together by the fabulous Terri Bruce!

 

So: This blog post is to boost the signal of Broads! Check us out… maybe join our forces and quest for World Domination!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Conventions and Dreams…



One of my favorite parts about being a professional geek is attending conventions.  This weekend I was at Boskone, the slightly more literary and serious sibling to Arisia, where I was last month.

Boskone is a quiet convention for me. I haven't done a lot of work to try and get on panels, so the only things I'm in charge of is the Broad Universe book table and showing up for the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading.

And having fun and networking and that whole bit.

Arisia was a bit of a crazy con for me, but it always is.  It's right up there with Dragon*Con in "life-changing events."  It's how I got involved with Spencer Hill Press. (For the whole story, read the intro to our first anthology, UnCONventional.)

This year, my Arisia crazy-level was upped to the Nth degree.  Not only was I in charge of the Broad Universe table, I was sharing it with three other vendors… and we were kind of stuck in a back corner.

Also, I was in charge of zombie-fying everyone for the Touch of Death release party - an awesome novel you can find out more about here. 

With the blessings of the wonderful Kelly Hashway, we used her party to give Kate Kaynak, founder of Spencer Hill Press, a very special gift from all the authors and editors who - thanks to her love, support, and creation of SHP - have made amazing strides in realizing their dreams.

Here's the video of that gift (it's a little blurry to start, but gets better). Enjoy!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Back in the Saddle… yet again



A long time ago (like, the beginning of January), in a galaxy far, far away (my kitchen table as opposed to my desk), I put together a handwritten business plan and a list of goals for 2013.

One of those goals was to write up those goals and post them as a blog on a particular date in January…

Ha! Hahaha! LOL!  I just kill me!

Another of those goals?  A weekly blog schedule!

Hahahahahahah!! ROTFLMAO!!  Totally dying of laughter, here!

But, as I've said in prior blog posts… (and couldn't find to link after 15 minutes, so I gave up… but believe me, they're there!) … one of the most important life lessons I've learned from riding is that you do, in fact, get do-overs.  So long as you don't give up and get back in that saddle!

And I say this having suffered cracked ribs, disjointed vertebrae, bites, sprained and strained ankles and knees… months or weeks or, pre-Calico, even years of doing next to nothing with horses.

Back into the blogging saddle I go, then.  Because I do love blogging… and I have an awful lot of amazing things to share this year!

Now that I'm here, let me hit that other goal of writing up some of my goals here. I know some people say writing and sharing one's goals is more detrimental than helpful, but honestly, I've not seen such in my life.

Goals:  Better late than never, right?


Meet all Spencer Hill Press Deadlines

I'm truly in love with my work in both writing and editing for SHP, and I have a lot of people's dreams of publication and their stories riding on my ability to hold up my end of the contract.  Thus far, I've been pretty good.  There are a few things running later than the most preferred deadline, but none that are running far into the extra-security padding that Kate, in her infinite wisdom, has built into the system.

Done in January: 1 novel proofed from galleys, 1 to galleys, 1 to closing edits, 1 through copyedits, my own to 2nd round edits, 2 submission novels read, 3 I gave the ok to offer on (one I read back in December). Also, first round of edits on half the Doorways submissions, and second round of edits on half the remaining half.

Dude… that's 8 different novels and 15 short pieces that I worked on! Yay!

Novel Goals
The Kelpie comes out this December, and I'm going through edits for this, plus working on the marketing plan.

A Silent Starsong is with Vikki to be submitted to Spencer Hill Press upon her edits.

The Earl's Childe is the sequel to The Kelpie is one of the novels I'm currently working on and needs to be finished, polished and submitted this year.

A Shooting Star is the sequel to A Silent Starsong and is actually entirely drafted! It just needs polishing.

The Banshee's Cry will be the third MacArthur book, and needs to get started.

Besides that, there are two other novel-length projects that I'm attending to but are not ready for discussion yet. ;) Stay tuned!


Other Fiction/Poetry Goals

Write three new short stories.
Submit to at least 5 different short fiction or poetry markets this year.
Write one new novella (done! And by accident, too!)
Write three new poems (one down, two to go!)


Business Goals

Make Goodreads profile and list fiction
Update Amazon profile
Update blog every week
Update website every week
Send website revamp changes ASAP


Horsey Goals

Two major trail rides
Three horse shows
Ride 2x per week on average (very difficult this winter!)


Other Goals

Lose 25 lbs


And that's what I'll be up to this year. :)  It's a lot, but more doable than other plans I've made for myself. 

I look forward to sharing the journey with you!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

February 2013: When separate worlds touch

Feb2013BroadPod.mp3 Listen on Posterous
Welcome to our February 2013 program.  We bring you two authors whose stories take us to the place where separate worlds touch one other.  K. A. Laity's short story, "The Rook", is from Unquiet Dreams a collection of short stories recently released by Tirgearr Publishing. The story begins in Bohermore cemetery in Galway with a persistent rook and a grieving brother.  

Then, fire up your universal translators as Ellen Larson reads from her science fiction novel, The Measure of the Universe.  A wide-eyed archeologist from Aldebaran lands in Greece to study with a sharp-tongued professor of paleography. They discover love among the runes, and a plot spelling disaster for both their worlds.  It's Prometheus, Bloodied but Unbound!  “Studded with clever double entendres and puns, this makes an engaging read for language lovers” –Booklist

Posted via email from The Broad Pod

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Other Tree by DK Mok

And here's a sneak peak from Spence City, the Urban & Dark Fantasy imprint of Spencer Hill Press!

THE OTHER TREE by DK Mok will be available in print and ebook form December 2013.

It’s been four years since Chris Arlin graduated with a degree that most people think she made up, and she’s still no closer to scraping up funding for her research into rare plants. Instead, she’s stacking shelves at the campus library, until a suspiciously well-dressed man offers her a lucrative position on a scientific expedition.

For Chris, the problem isn’t the fact that they’re searching for the Biblical Tree of Life. Nor is it the fact that most of the individuals on the expedition seem to be fashionably lethal mercenaries. The problem is that the mission is being backed by SinaCorp, the corporation responsible for a similar, failed expedition on which her mother died eleven years ago.

However, when Chris’s father is unexpectedly diagnosed with inoperable cancer, Chris sees only one solution. Vowing to find the Tree of Life before SinaCorp’s mercenaries, Chris recruits Luke, an antisocial campus priest undergoing a crisis of faith. Together, they embark on a desperate race to find Eden. However, as the hunt intensifies, Chris discovers growing evidence of her mother’s strange behaviour before her death, and she begins to realise that SinaCorp isn’t the only one with secrets they want to stay buried.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Broad Universe Annual Meeting

BU_Annual_Meeting_2012.mp3 Listen on Posterous
The Mother Board consists of Vice President Kimberly Long-Ewing, Treasurer Sunder Addams, Secretary Kristi Petersen Schoonover, also Vikki Ciaffone, Carma Spence, and Catherine Lundoff.  Listen in as President Trisha Wooldridge calls the annual meeting to order.  Find out more about what Broad Universe does for its members, what it costs, and what plans the organization has for the future.  Lots of good news and items of interest for this growing and dynamic group of awesome women.  Also lots of ways that you can get involved and help develop your skills and your network as you help other Broads promote their work.  They take questions from members and discuss the logistics of convention tables and readings.

 
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