Perth and beyond

I had a wonderful time participating in Swancon this past weekend. I and the other GOH were treated wonderfully well and I'm satisfied with how all my panels went. Instead of the usual stress I often feel when approaching a panel, I was relaxed. No idea why. Good discussions, good questions from the audience. Books were sold--some hand sold by me, others sold by Justin Ackroyd and Stephen Dedman in the dealers room. I discovered that there was a demand for my OMNI books. If I'd known, I would have brought more. Next time. The arc of Naked City was auctioned off for a fan fun. Last night several of us went to a good pub for dinner... most restaurants were closed all or parts of the weekend for Easter and Anzac Day. Then last night a few people came to room for a last room party.

This morning, Kaaron Warren and her family and I drove south to the town of Denmark. Initially,the terrain was brush and very dry but by the time we reached Denmark it became lush and filled with horses, cows, and sheep. It's lovely country.

The five of us (3 adults and 2 children) are in a "Chalet" called Harmony. We're going
to get take out pizza (we drove about 5 hours today) and will relax then
go to a tree walk tomorrow in Walpole.

two great reviews of TEETH

Two very nice reviews of Terri and my anthology TEETH sent on by our editor-(both are trimmed here)


From the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books:

Gr. 9-12 ...the editors challenged a mix of new(ish) and veteran young adult writers to offer vampire stories that were unusual in some way—stories that surprise or challenge enough to shake up readers who might be expecting Twilight in short form. The Meyer issue is tackled head-on as part of an informative introduction that zips through a folkloric and literary history of vampires before addressing the modern surge of bloodsucking tales. ... a solid, well constructed, and strong collection throughout.

... authors less likely to be familiar to young adult readers, such as Nathan Ballingrud, whose gripping, startling tale of a vampire trapped under a house and the boy determined to outsmart him, “Sunbleached,” will likely send readers off in search of his other works. The vampires run the gamut from the super-violent to those who want to survive but detest attacking others, from the wise, brooding, sexual male to the modern snarky teen who didn’t even clock much experience before being turned....nicely varied in length, tone, and perspective, thus guaranteeing that readers all along the taste spectrum, from those hoping for glimpses of Edward to those who roll their eyes at any mention of sparkly vamps, will find plenty to enjoy. It’s exactly what the editors referenced, a sort of safe yet challenging meeting ground for all sorts of fans, and the quality of the anthology means that the goal of adding a noteworthy supplement to the mountain of pointy-teeth books was accomplished. AS
(they missed one poem)

From School Library Journal:

Gr 8 Up–This inevitable and anticipated vampire-themed anthology from an editorial dynamic duo is a compilation of 17 short stories and two poems by award-winning, well-known, and/or new authors typically specializing in fantasy and sci-fi genres inside and out of the YA market. An accessible, interesting introduction reminds readers that vampire lore has long existed in many countries and cultures, evolving over time. An eclectic mix of tales and tones, the stories (refreshingly not all focused on romance) are dark, humorous, bittersweet, haunting, mocking, or
combinations thereof. They explore varying myths and themes of mortality, friendship, survival, the passage of time, misperception, manipulation, transformation, and change.

... will leave readers thirsting for more. Containing occasional swears, this biting, anti-fluff compilation is for fans of the paranormal, Datlow and Windling’s other anthologies, and CW’s Supernatural.–Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ