Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are gobsmacked — but pleased! — and hereby announce to The World that Saltation, their sixteenth collaborative novel, the eleventh set in the Liaden Universe®, has placed in the Locus Poll Top Twenty Best Novels of 2010.
Thank you! to everyone who voted.
*falls over ded*
1. Spent last night in the Sleep Lab, getting fitted for a mask and then being experimented upon to find the optimum flow of air to keep the passages open. Not as easy as I expected. My body considers forced air an intruder at best; an enemy to be actively beat off at worst. Also, panic attacks in the Sleep Lab? Not recommended.
2. It snowed last night. And today.
3. The mass market edition of Mouse and Dragon has been added to the Big Pile of Lee and Miller books coming out this year — October.
4. The proofs for the mass market edition of Saltation have landed.
5. But before I do them, I do the last pass through “Intelligent Design,” which has only now come back to me from Steve.
Today is Theo Waitley’s birthday. That’s right, on this date in 2007, the first chapter of Fledgling was posted on the interwebs. I trust everyone has marked their calendars and have suitable celebrations planned.
Since that first, auspicious appearance, Theo has broadened her horizons considerably. Not only has she pursued her dream of becoming a courier pilot, but she has been published in ebook, hardback, and paperback by Baen, and hit various bestseller lists, including the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Science Fiction list.
As this is Theo’s fifth birthday, I’d say a little gentle embarrassment is in order. How about this? Let’s share our favorite memories of her in comments.
NOTE: Those who have not read the books (Fledgling, and Saltation, that would be), please be aware that there may well be spoilers in comments, and click at your own risk.
So, everybody pull up a chair — no, wait! I’m forgetting something. Before we settle in, punch and cake in hand, to reminisce, let’s gather in a circle, join hands, and say the magic words:
So, I haven’t been around the blogs much, a trend that will probably continue,what with one thing and a lagging book. Still behind on the email. I love y’all, though.
Steve has been doing the work of four good men; meaning there are many autographed Saltations in the sky, on the road, and, reportedly, in the hands of the folks who supported the writing of the project. Signing the books reminded us of how much we owe you guys, and we thank you again, deeply.
I still do worry about the folks on the Lost List. Take a second to look at the list, especially if you’re in the US and haven’t received your book. If you see your name, please don’t assume that I’ll cross-check you against the SRM database and thus discover your whereabouts. Be proactive! If you see a friend’s name on the list, give ‘em a nudge, why not? My goal is to get a book into the hands of everyone who was kind enough to subscribe.
The last week included an emergency run for Argent the Forester to the Subaru Repair Shop, where he emerged willing, and now able, to drive Steve to NASFiC in a couple weeks.
The day-job continues to be Entirely Too Stressful. I blame the heat. And administrative boneheadedness.
This evening, Steve and I are scheduled to read, and he, as a Trustee, to act as host, at the Winslow Public Library’s 100th Year Anniversary Party, which will be lots of fun.
The Expanding Universe contest has 326 entries so far. Have you entered? Have you blogged? Have you pointed a friend to the contest? Time’s running out for all of those things; the contest deadline is midnight EDT today, Friday, July 16.
Today, late as it starts will be an on-the-sofa-with-the Leewit-day. Hope everyone has a stress-free Friday!
Steve and I spent all day, from early to late Saturday and from early until now Sunday signing, packing and labeling subscriber copies of Saltation. I can report with confidence at this moment that hundreds and hundreds of books will go into the mail on Tuesday. That only leaves hundreds and hundreds left to process, but, hey, progress — and a huge shout-out and Thank you! to Amy Cryway, who packed books like a mad, packing thing.
In other news, The Leewit has a new skin:
Carousel Tides skin for The Leewit
…which looks Much Classier in person than it does in the photo. Man, that is a cool cover!
Also! Watch this space for Teh Shiney, promised earlier in the week, and brought to you with the connivance and assistance of long-time Friend of Liad Mike Barker, Heather Massey of The Galaxy Express, and Toni Weisskiopf of Baen Books. Details follow this evening. This has been your Distant Early Warning.
And now, Steve is making burgers, and there’s a class of sangria with my name on it by a comfy chair under a tree.
For those who celebrate the Fourth of July, have a comfortable and safe holiday! For those who don’t celebrate, well — you be safe and comfortable, too; that’s not just for holidays you know.
I’ll be back later.
Remember! You can (and, dare I say, should?) read Liaden Universe® novels and stories, as well as other works by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, and by Sharon Lee on your ereader. These electric books are available directly from Baen Webscriptions.
Yes, you can read Webscriptions ebooks on your Kindle, and on your Ipad.
Saltation subscribers, take note! There is a list of people who are in danger of not receiving their books here. Please take a moment to check this list for your name, or the name of a friend or loved one. If your name does appear on the list, instructions for mending that problem are at the top of the entry.
Steve and I are still signing books. Once again — this is a lengthy process. Please don’t write to me and ask if your book has been mailed — at this point, the answer is “no.” Also, I don’t know when your book will be mailed.
If you wrote to Mr. Raun to ask if your name was in the database and received a negative answer from him, writing to me will not produce a positive answer. We are using the same database.
Saltation at Number Four on the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Science Fiction for the week ending April 25.
That’s just. . .
Wow.
Also! I have here in my hand — an authors’ copy of The Dragon Variation, coming very soon now to a Bookstore Near You.
As reported in these pages yesterday, we had received word that an “inventory transfer order” had been sent to the Simon and Schuster warehouse, which was the first step in the journey of 1200 subscriber-sponsored Saltations to Maine.
Today, the warehouse called Baen with the information that there are not enough — not nearly enough — books in the warehouse to cover that transfer of inventory.
In fact, the first hardcover run of Saltation appears to have sold out — in just two weeks.
Baen is immediately going back to print. But! That means we need to ask those who pre-ordered to be patient. . .some while longer. We apologize, but this is something that is completely out of our control — mid-list genre books just don’t sell out in two weeks.
There are a few — a very few books that were in the pipeline when the transfer order went out, and which are coming to Maine. They count in dozens; not nearly enough to fill the orders outstanding.
We will keep you informed, as we’re informed.
In the meantime — thank you for your patience and for your on-going support.
We love you guys.
Sharon and Steve
Oh, let’s see.
Woke up this morning with a stiff neck, which was later in the day joined by aching wrists, aching head — pretty much aching everything — and that was the theme of the day, despite swallowing my Daily Limit of aspirin.
Fortunately, there was very little of a keyboard nature to do at work, so I got to rest my wrists, anyway, and passed the afternoon reading the New Yorker that had arrived on Saturday. Of particular note is the article about S.A. Andree’s arctic expedition in 1897, undertaken via hot air balloon, as well as the article about chef in Turkey who is devoting his life to ferreting out the old, each-slightly-different regional recipes for standard foods that are being displaced by the Turkish equivalents of Starbucks. I’m in the middle of reading the article about George Steinmetz — tomorrow!
Or not, depending on workload.
Today, I had thrust upon me by the story-brain, which was apparently avoiding the Ghost Ship scene it was supposed to be thinking about — the name and history of a goddess attached to Cheobaug, the Land of Wave and Water. Mind you, I wasn’t going to be writing a story about Cheobaug, but does the story-brain care what I want?
This has been reported elsewhere, but bears repeating — an Inventory Transfer Order has been — repeat has been — issued, and the pre-ordered Saltations have begun their journey Maine-ward. Best estimate as to when they might arrive is “next week sometime.” Please be assured that we’ll tell you when they land.
…that’s pretty much all I’ve got.
Hope everyone has a pleasant and relaxing evening.
. . .consider the above fair warning, and Do Not Try Me(tm). Thank you.
As reported earlier in the week, B&N and Amazon are now shipping Saltation; both are accepting customer reviews, if you’re of a reviewing bent.
I’m now looking for reports of Saltation spotted in the wild, as well as any other Lee and Miller books that might be nearby. As you’re out and about town, keep your eyes peeled, please!
No, we have not yet received our Big Shipment of Saltation subscriber copies. We’ll tell you when.?
My plans for the day include cleaning out my closet and making up a box of stuff to go to Goodwill, brainstorming, and perhaps goofing off with my spiffy! new! layout program.
What’re you doing that’s fun?
Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.
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