tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120802212024-03-06T22:17:28.654-08:00Chris York's Going CoastalThe official blog of multi-genre novelist (mystery, romance, fantasy, science-fiction, and more) Christina F. York.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-78185019615661612052009-08-05T23:12:00.000-07:002009-08-14T19:09:47.730-07:00Reno 2011 World Science Fiction Convention site-recon report and photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/110/92/n135637065990_1712.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 153px;" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/110/92/n135637065990_1712.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Husband Steve here:</b> Welcome to our <a href="http://renovationsf.org/">Reno 2011 Worldcon</a> site-recon report. We're not doing this in any official capacity, but since we were in town anyway, and have worked on a con or two or five ourselves back in the day, we knew there were people out there who would be starved for information. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We spun by the Peppermill Hotel and Casino (Quiet hotel), spent quite a bit of time crawling around the Atlantis Hotel and Casino (the party hotel, and the one connected to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center) and checked the exterior layout on the convention center itself. We took lots of photos of these things and we'll try to lay the photos out with our observations in a way that may be useful to those attending or working on the convention.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rather than clutter up our "gateway" blog, <a href="http://www.yorkwriters.com/">Yorkwriters.com</a> with this special-interest stuff, we decided to post them on Chris' blog, which hasn't been that busy lately (get posting, Chris!). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, since we're taking over her blog... Before we go on, a brief word from our sponsor: I know this isn't sf/fantasy (which Chris has published plenty of, by the way), but Chris, under the pen-name Christy Evans, has a new mystery series launching through Berkley Prime Crime this fall, featuring a mystery solving female plumber's apprentice/amateur detective. You can see her gorgeous new cover for the first installment, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425230791?ie=UTF8&tag=yorkwriters-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425230791">"Sink Trap,"</a> and read all the details on <a href="http://christy-evans-mystery.blogspot.com/">"Christy's" blog.</a> Two more installments are already in the pipeline (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/042523388X?ie=UTF8&tag=yorkwriters-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=042523388X">"Lead Pipe Cinch"</a> is scheduled for April 2010), with more to come if enough of you nice folks out there buy the books. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Please check it out and spread the word. Thanks!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, on to the recon!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(Click on any of the following photos for larger-versions. If anyone involved with the convention needs the full-sized originals for any reason, I'd be happy to share.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are two official hotels for the convention, the Peppermill and the Atlantis. Both are located on Virgina Street, Reno's "Main Street" that runs from the convention center back into downtown and the "old-Reno" convention district. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The entire convention facility is located quite near the Reno airport, and has excellent freeway access. (For those considering driving from the Northwest, it's a long but not-awful days drive for us from Lincoln City, Oregon. Which means it should be the same or better for people in Portland, Oregon and points south. Seattle people will either need tag-team drivers or to plan an overnight stop somewhere. Vancouver (B.C.) people will really need two days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's also a day's drive from L.A. or San Diego, or pretty much all of California. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's very centrally located for anyone on the west coast.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Okay, first we dropped by the "quiet" hotel, the Peppermill Hotel Casino. This is an older hotel, but it's recently undergone some major remodeling, and the locals seemed impressed with its new, Vegas-styled facade, seen here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We didn't take the time to go inside, so all you'll get are some exterior shots here.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TV-dcGyRuSKrsrtjIyVzOLRgCE96-H9P5igQw5JbRUuWgjTze97yhSetE46LIG9gZdoFygoehZsTywGr1jUtIKehwjm06x3HYncxk0Zh8C9NM730bAZZ_j16uczoasR0zxJW/s1600-h/IMG_4599.JPG"></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ahpVUfH6VnEBsNAnv0iIdqxCk8v4xqjt4_ccGgIFwQ20Tb1gOlZhr9eo-CgiScz36RjUs7VX7ZzBhnIbxdn_8Fm-kgcgiRJnBVkd_FxxojAVzHGA5N2RxawHJJJax8avck_3/s1600-h/Peppermill+Front.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ahpVUfH6VnEBsNAnv0iIdqxCk8v4xqjt4_ccGgIFwQ20Tb1gOlZhr9eo-CgiScz36RjUs7VX7ZzBhnIbxdn_8Fm-kgcgiRJnBVkd_FxxojAVzHGA5N2RxawHJJJax8avck_3/s400/Peppermill+Front.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366734223088662178" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoePD4nTAzMHfe5JLqHnmb2Y05Y6VhL__vEpigM0pbCYC-0NxCrUjq_EjsNxoHOObTwHogyDnybwe48I14Ehiz7FEs9pwJsTrD12hCivyBDqmma19uHeJJFOqroME2cXa7BnN/s1600-h/peppermill-front2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoePD4nTAzMHfe5JLqHnmb2Y05Y6VhL__vEpigM0pbCYC-0NxCrUjq_EjsNxoHOObTwHogyDnybwe48I14Ehiz7FEs9pwJsTrD12hCivyBDqmma19uHeJJFOqroME2cXa7BnN/s400/peppermill-front2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366734162535142802" /></a>The Peppermill really isn't that close to the Atlantis and the convention center. Here's the view from the Peppermill's front parking lot of the Atlantis. It might be considered walkable, but just barely. I understand there will be shuttles. There's also lots of free parking. Does "lots" mean "enough" when it comes to convention week though? I'm not sure. Maybe someone else will have better answers.<br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TV-dcGyRuSKrsrtjIyVzOLRgCE96-H9P5igQw5JbRUuWgjTze97yhSetE46LIG9gZdoFygoehZsTywGr1jUtIKehwjm06x3HYncxk0Zh8C9NM730bAZZ_j16uczoasR0zxJW/s400/IMG_4599.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366734332678974450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span>The Peppermill has a multi-story parking structure (all parking for the Atlantis and Convention Center seems to be single-level lots), and we drove to the top to give you some idea of the distance between and the overall layout of the convention site. There are a large number of eateries, fast-food joints, and convenience stores in-between.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgCeh73DUDmKJ3ktTf2y_HYVSZzrdL5r-Kpmli69_zLCSHXnsoZacIJvx8-AQK92vU45-jwBjjO6r4QRs2ZekRj2BCI7APd_AfmkRUUHafelM-qtcJ1fxToxn8UYTJ6QqSZHj/s1600-h/Atlantis+Peppermill+Parking+Structure.JPG"></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgCeh73DUDmKJ3ktTf2y_HYVSZzrdL5r-Kpmli69_zLCSHXnsoZacIJvx8-AQK92vU45-jwBjjO6r4QRs2ZekRj2BCI7APd_AfmkRUUHafelM-qtcJ1fxToxn8UYTJ6QqSZHj/s1600-h/Atlantis+Peppermill+Parking+Structure.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgCeh73DUDmKJ3ktTf2y_HYVSZzrdL5r-Kpmli69_zLCSHXnsoZacIJvx8-AQK92vU45-jwBjjO6r4QRs2ZekRj2BCI7APd_AfmkRUUHafelM-qtcJ1fxToxn8UYTJ6QqSZHj/s400/Atlantis+Peppermill+Parking+Structure.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366734088094650802" /></a>Here's a closer look at the Atlantis layout. The Casino is in the lower level of the Atlantis, and naturally, to get anywhere, you've got to go through it. The second level is all non-smoking, with more casino space, meeting rooms (I'm not sure how much the convention will be in these, and how much will be in the convention center), restaurants, arcade, and other stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div> The Sparks Reno convention center is just beyond in this photo, and is connected to the hotel by a skybridge and several crosswalks. A second skybridge connects the hotel to a large parking lot on the other side of Virginia street. The Convention Center has its own parking as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2pi07-YpyM-AH5jmwQXBiuIlUCEg1UG_LizXP9Bv-eh8ogMeKiKCoQSaiCZjUQXLiyTe3r5ro7kb3tsSsOK_ItBxletML3oSoajuv2g8vDaGrYK8PdlBofjGGxmTBQ5OsLPH/s1600-h/Atlantis+Exterior+Layout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2pi07-YpyM-AH5jmwQXBiuIlUCEg1UG_LizXP9Bv-eh8ogMeKiKCoQSaiCZjUQXLiyTe3r5ro7kb3tsSsOK_ItBxletML3oSoajuv2g8vDaGrYK8PdlBofjGGxmTBQ5OsLPH/s400/Atlantis+Exterior+Layout.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733932790783906" /></a>Here's a closer look at the parking bridge. It's a <i>large </i>bridge, with stuff inside, as you'll see later.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAco-2s6mgOUF7Hzxdd2MkHniJGJYx9sZYzTX3ej0_dSXKDuZdvzXcnA-3MAO1H-fUY0DfISNnq6dQ_2dnuWD_TWe516ImUTrWQiO0sB7Ou8qNRVINj3q5_MRfvBloC1nulvW/s1600-h/Atlantis+Parking+Bridge.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAco-2s6mgOUF7Hzxdd2MkHniJGJYx9sZYzTX3ej0_dSXKDuZdvzXcnA-3MAO1H-fUY0DfISNnq6dQ_2dnuWD_TWe516ImUTrWQiO0sB7Ou8qNRVINj3q5_MRfvBloC1nulvW/s400/Atlantis+Parking+Bridge.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733715892739314" /></a>Here's the front of the Convention Center. Not a great shot, but it was hard to photograph because of trees. It's bigger than it looks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItvy8vwuZhLklfvycEsuA9cXMoTurF2leTdj6zZsijWiXfEhpSaCY4z-rAytSE2SlijBnsvpEatkk2dZnvPwQ46L1HPIg-0vUE0AfeNr4YI17zxtEIzHo-Uxys2a2tP7a5wPR/s1600-h/Convention+Center+Front+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItvy8vwuZhLklfvycEsuA9cXMoTurF2leTdj6zZsijWiXfEhpSaCY4z-rAytSE2SlijBnsvpEatkk2dZnvPwQ46L1HPIg-0vUE0AfeNr4YI17zxtEIzHo-Uxys2a2tP7a5wPR/s400/Convention+Center+Front+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733644007335586" /></a>One thing that really impressed us was how centrally located the Atlantis and Convention Center were. Pretty much ANYTHING you could want is within a mile. Dozens of chain restaurants and fast food outlets. Several large grocery stores, including a Grocery Outlet, Safeway, Whole Foods, and more. Two big-box book stores, one of which is seen below. A Super-Wal-Mart. A Michael's Crafts for party supplies. Office supplies. It's all there. It's all close.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEuxyUiGOJHm3rMNMHMtNMwZxFt0uF0hm3F8Cs7dxygULFj5zvrpxrSICuzOu8tMzLMSIxQ8QKXFRRDILIujs3pTP_cMrbffGJvlEm72s0RSR8Hyumj8U03wYKOO0rkkT6Cw1/s1600-h/Reno-yay+bookstores.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEuxyUiGOJHm3rMNMHMtNMwZxFt0uF0hm3F8Cs7dxygULFj5zvrpxrSICuzOu8tMzLMSIxQ8QKXFRRDILIujs3pTP_cMrbffGJvlEm72s0RSR8Hyumj8U03wYKOO0rkkT6Cw1/s400/Reno-yay+bookstores.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733427274585378" /></a>Another shot of the convention center and the Atlantis, giving some idea of proximity. There's a sky-bridge from the second (meeting room) level of the Atlantis to the convention center, but it looks like a bit of a hike, and the convention center itself is long and thin. Bring your comfortable walking shoes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTEM6yzQwqbQ-lXZnRVMnmDns0Wf3IxMnGnWd4nwm19CIRcCLs3iGsLFwoN_EFlO9dKU_acL_A2KDBE6wYVLo04ztzskZ8A_lBdAxLFkX6u2GJd9eiTsChH9cIRpZwDcYtCl-/s1600-h/Atlantis+and+Convention+Center.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTEM6yzQwqbQ-lXZnRVMnmDns0Wf3IxMnGnWd4nwm19CIRcCLs3iGsLFwoN_EFlO9dKU_acL_A2KDBE6wYVLo04ztzskZ8A_lBdAxLFkX6u2GJd9eiTsChH9cIRpZwDcYtCl-/s400/Atlantis+and+Convention+Center.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733350315843426" /></a>Here's a better look at the Convention Center skybridge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bQ23DYxF2ryUjPfsUJlfydtIA20qb7ckc5sYWSVAjmESjKygsSc-54PPvfV6K3y3J3AMmN0QOhSqJJqN_a7iX6QRTWXIV7HITjzumIp_DeYzt41Ob-bWCUTN1HfZKDc-tGk_/s1600-h/Convention+Skybridge+exterior.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bQ23DYxF2ryUjPfsUJlfydtIA20qb7ckc5sYWSVAjmESjKygsSc-54PPvfV6K3y3J3AMmN0QOhSqJJqN_a7iX6QRTWXIV7HITjzumIp_DeYzt41Ob-bWCUTN1HfZKDc-tGk_/s400/Convention+Skybridge+exterior.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733258189346722" /></a>Here's the back of the Atlantis tower, with more parking. Also in this area is a curious thing, an old style motor-court hotel that appears to be part of the Atlantis. I'm very curious if the concom has any special plans for these rooms. (<em>Chris here: According to the Atlantis website, these rooms are "pet-friendly." If you travel with your furry or feathered friends, you might want to check this out.)</em><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0_QQr6NFN_3cR4Ik9V3wpkcT84phgJB-nJeqADjYvH_8LDzc5uoFAxEpYr8aKi_MZCP-IgR0fPSsHm0sChkxXBrqw_fIk6cup3j-0HUhQlQt266bbOohMGBYCXMqvSwXRQMC/s1600-h/Atlantis+Rear+Tower+and+parking.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0_QQr6NFN_3cR4Ik9V3wpkcT84phgJB-nJeqADjYvH_8LDzc5uoFAxEpYr8aKi_MZCP-IgR0fPSsHm0sChkxXBrqw_fIk6cup3j-0HUhQlQt266bbOohMGBYCXMqvSwXRQMC/s400/Atlantis+Rear+Tower+and+parking.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733168361289666" /></a>Here's a not-very-good photo of some of the Atlantis Casino decor. There are escalators to the second level back there, though it's hard to tell in this shot.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0Aba7gMIT9qtSz0Yv8WeVWfVQ6zyC5Dvfg3eJl6YSOWY8Xpbc8MlxnR6-8ZCBBvKdO-PQGV1MXxsBcfZHW5vBGVKP9f6sw8ijuE1teNI9mOO5hKJ3wYJBZrlhZnxUkmmH3fL/s1600-h/Atlantis+Casino+Interior.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0Aba7gMIT9qtSz0Yv8WeVWfVQ6zyC5Dvfg3eJl6YSOWY8Xpbc8MlxnR6-8ZCBBvKdO-PQGV1MXxsBcfZHW5vBGVKP9f6sw8ijuE1teNI9mOO5hKJ3wYJBZrlhZnxUkmmH3fL/s400/Atlantis+Casino+Interior.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366733060602843202" /></a>Token shot of the casino floor. They gamble in Reno! Who knew?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCRuzzqXmS-SQ7sDk09b_yU3blBm-PLD5tjYNDKfvIxkJMDT9q_6z8_a0_2d7wrlX_Mkh61teihTDyaWV8CS9JPimzAcjZn0DUSesmoThTkovpkv2I0AaIz7g5kjIfxEG3VjK/s1600-h/Atlantis-they+have+gambling.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCRuzzqXmS-SQ7sDk09b_yU3blBm-PLD5tjYNDKfvIxkJMDT9q_6z8_a0_2d7wrlX_Mkh61teihTDyaWV8CS9JPimzAcjZn0DUSesmoThTkovpkv2I0AaIz7g5kjIfxEG3VjK/s400/Atlantis-they+have+gambling.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732946877539490" /></a>This is the Atlantis registration desk area, seen from the rear of the hotel. It's a bit cramped in here, so lines may be a problem.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsZoSNGP8yPMJkICwOmGACQWfZWae40Nlvcda-LzJ_S9JO9oH664r0rNgy7XpLwEZP8XuaU6TLMRrppuXBMsFlEyGyAA9BeLQa50Epkc8eQBUfvzPhh7muPPaVXJI5o4xDoz8/s1600-h/Front+Desk+looking+out.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsZoSNGP8yPMJkICwOmGACQWfZWae40Nlvcda-LzJ_S9JO9oH664r0rNgy7XpLwEZP8XuaU6TLMRrppuXBMsFlEyGyAA9BeLQa50Epkc8eQBUfvzPhh7muPPaVXJI5o4xDoz8/s400/Front+Desk+looking+out.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732869943667442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLAOJwQ0if-eLHmFB_fXLYXDbq2IrCR1X0TP-45R53lIR8t8-vWIKy7JgypH6j30M5AXMSt6hZdTC0XyS-XXvXcZfuHxcrYB2m5JRd8Pqxw88m0aJKgOusSSttwiBnUgh5RNF/s1600-h/Front+Desk+Looking+In.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLAOJwQ0if-eLHmFB_fXLYXDbq2IrCR1X0TP-45R53lIR8t8-vWIKy7JgypH6j30M5AXMSt6hZdTC0XyS-XXvXcZfuHxcrYB2m5JRd8Pqxw88m0aJKgOusSSttwiBnUgh5RNF/s400/Front+Desk+Looking+In.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732794316032978" /></a>The registration desk seen from just inside the front door.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5aMApY83rS_pdPe5LoXpgrCDS1u6-tBuvEpXHAVsTpKbpwlDVJxnMjgU2uOtfqsGgfuIQSVpSnneqG5htEAGbWG_YqNBQuSZrfw1ANfUJ80ctURD32uJ6Nh7LnEKsnxeC2Sl/s1600-h/Parking+Skybridge+-+Nonsmoking+gaming+and+food.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5aMApY83rS_pdPe5LoXpgrCDS1u6-tBuvEpXHAVsTpKbpwlDVJxnMjgU2uOtfqsGgfuIQSVpSnneqG5htEAGbWG_YqNBQuSZrfw1ANfUJ80ctURD32uJ6Nh7LnEKsnxeC2Sl/s400/Parking+Skybridge+-+Nonsmoking+gaming+and+food.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732720540692450" /></a>Remember I said there was <i>stuff </i>inside that parking skybridge? Well, this is it. There's a non-smoking gaming area, an Oyster-bar, some other food and drink, and a nifty little seating area at the far end (more on this later). This may be a good place to hide from some of the convention crowds during the day or evenings. Bad news is, there's a greenhouse effect that can make it warm during the day. Should be fine at night.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGNDO34vfdDpDqPTxXtJmFvGh_8oLXhDzAuNmBvySJ5outctkQm4iu4m7JM7BQg4yYZBMLwqqvz0ZcCKABgMyIXI30bbOfmQJmjWgGn8GLaLDSYNFNcD14PNsxODR3abgNDV_/s1600-h/Convention+Center+from+Parking+Bridge.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGNDO34vfdDpDqPTxXtJmFvGh_8oLXhDzAuNmBvySJ5outctkQm4iu4m7JM7BQg4yYZBMLwqqvz0ZcCKABgMyIXI30bbOfmQJmjWgGn8GLaLDSYNFNcD14PNsxODR3abgNDV_/s400/Convention+Center+from+Parking+Bridge.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732624891343202" /></a>Here's the view from the parking bridge of the Convention Center. That's Virginia Street in the center.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86sIslpHemZwjHSjfZjXUDOKouqXJSuSsqn3_pTflaAFYQpkOT1rpNg0KC0ni7Ro56ylupKr8YzRN5G0m4NOl_gpEZpnZ55ZhZ9ItlXgDLBKxN2kxyxzxf5pA0f90_XZEX8VM/s1600-h/Parking+bridge+seating+area.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86sIslpHemZwjHSjfZjXUDOKouqXJSuSsqn3_pTflaAFYQpkOT1rpNg0KC0ni7Ro56ylupKr8YzRN5G0m4NOl_gpEZpnZ55ZhZ9ItlXgDLBKxN2kxyxzxf5pA0f90_XZEX8VM/s400/Parking+bridge+seating+area.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732572864501554" /></a>Here's that little conversation area I mentioned. There are a couple such areas in the hotel, unusual for a casino. I like.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0Mlv8x2iXHyEzGbbTyYZH-rE8OS7CdBcJ6nwKa1HetHrEL9pjB6QWbRezNz87riGLr5QAtfIn5TKiGPj4hoJ9-PrgbdGESXNb__aZcsQqxnW3YbacRiadwbN1ipsXZDoAEwn/s1600-h/Parking+bridge+seating+area2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0Mlv8x2iXHyEzGbbTyYZH-rE8OS7CdBcJ6nwKa1HetHrEL9pjB6QWbRezNz87riGLr5QAtfIn5TKiGPj4hoJ9-PrgbdGESXNb__aZcsQqxnW3YbacRiadwbN1ipsXZDoAEwn/s400/Parking+bridge+seating+area2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732511297146450" /></a>Below is the Atlantis buffet. Not as big as some of the Las Vegas ones, but looks pretty nice. No, we didn't have a chance to try it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIB0nsZKp2DTmPOVCAbAh8-jq9qvv91BNNkjFGaxvKSpsUOARP19zX7j_Cs86OibVqd9kaIS7U2jVnit6leBLcXrokNU8-dS-IMpYaqhoY9ifDVnHBaIzxyrupkgV2h-bBY9e/s1600-h/Atlantis+Buffett.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIB0nsZKp2DTmPOVCAbAh8-jq9qvv91BNNkjFGaxvKSpsUOARP19zX7j_Cs86OibVqd9kaIS7U2jVnit6leBLcXrokNU8-dS-IMpYaqhoY9ifDVnHBaIzxyrupkgV2h-bBY9e/s400/Atlantis+Buffett.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732425749510610" /></a>This sign offers an overview of the dining options in Atlantis currently. Of course that could change by convention time. The Manhattan Deli is apparently brand new.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ551EEu6DUzrs6VuW0wirnDcJTXNiFDWKn7hMZsRQASyPBtQ5zamVTomJWJqpn2hvNNg51HinIxEhQ1zXXBCaYXLgxhgPJ-MkTivh8WApKAKur8DzwPhjawV_8pQxhyphenhyphenNomfY/s1600-h/Atlantis+Eateries.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZ551EEu6DUzrs6VuW0wirnDcJTXNiFDWKn7hMZsRQASyPBtQ5zamVTomJWJqpn2hvNNg51HinIxEhQ1zXXBCaYXLgxhgPJ-MkTivh8WApKAKur8DzwPhjawV_8pQxhyphenhyphenNomfY/s400/Atlantis+Eateries.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732361675431138" /></a>Below is the Convention Center and skybridge as seen from the second level of the Atlantis. The skybridge connects directly to the programming room area of the hotel, which is nice if they have programming in both locations. Also, note the crosswalk on the left. Could be useful if the bridge gets too crowded.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN7jExJ7GJnEgtPnLIC1jIqlON-L-HGJPT2bZ3CqH4utQhsffpS2phh1FxWhVto8GYlb8EMuW7MaoMLcYNDr_4dt2-Qv3UJV702RoUItos69Dl2JwjSZLOkP-OHUy-6iYYaDF/s1600-h/Convention+Center+and+Skybridge+from+Atlantis.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN7jExJ7GJnEgtPnLIC1jIqlON-L-HGJPT2bZ3CqH4utQhsffpS2phh1FxWhVto8GYlb8EMuW7MaoMLcYNDr_4dt2-Qv3UJV702RoUItos69Dl2JwjSZLOkP-OHUy-6iYYaDF/s400/Convention+Center+and+Skybridge+from+Atlantis.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732288239252082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZKEv6xys4o3CcRqLCx5NdNtVERo4tEiJ8mBRBFUTXRdGJQoeQ4ewV078hhk4Af0kFgbBx2vhS1rBCV3V7xhxMtt2uWnTFWZ4G3QxajtRiX1hNUnavk5nsI1KlhYw7PV60iSz/s1600-h/Convention+Center+Hotel+Side.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZKEv6xys4o3CcRqLCx5NdNtVERo4tEiJ8mBRBFUTXRdGJQoeQ4ewV078hhk4Af0kFgbBx2vhS1rBCV3V7xhxMtt2uWnTFWZ4G3QxajtRiX1hNUnavk5nsI1KlhYw7PV60iSz/s400/Convention+Center+Hotel+Side.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732190264667074" /></a>A slightly different angle. Note the parking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvwh3tXa_gEJvTvQCMFMu74zcZXdwQ5OxYbPIjf7vFKaeVw6I0MLLToOLPatCYr02SpoTjrA20chx81bO_8ykgAAbe-992rQn-B5l1q4G2CJ6xxScZk4DsVjXry00i-BQ4HBT/s1600-h/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvwh3tXa_gEJvTvQCMFMu74zcZXdwQ5OxYbPIjf7vFKaeVw6I0MLLToOLPatCYr02SpoTjrA20chx81bO_8ykgAAbe-992rQn-B5l1q4G2CJ6xxScZk4DsVjXry00i-BQ4HBT/s400/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732103067362098" /></a>Above is the program-room lobby area just at the end of the skybridge. The hotel was perhaps more upscale than I expected. I hope everyone is on their best behavior and doesn't break anything!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQolpVf5fOwVxjLfM9F3kqzlKl9FvAZ6vJ4HQZj4Ry01n4L5q0yEREOwu2XdCxv7T9TcgEbblwTaVK8fgWPVTxLSayMyf0ywZCKdcPss9lT3iqlit6iN9EmyTW8N0_yabzIs7S/s1600-h/Atlantis+Second+Level+meeting+room+layout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQolpVf5fOwVxjLfM9F3kqzlKl9FvAZ6vJ4HQZj4Ry01n4L5q0yEREOwu2XdCxv7T9TcgEbblwTaVK8fgWPVTxLSayMyf0ywZCKdcPss9lT3iqlit6iN9EmyTW8N0_yabzIs7S/s400/Atlantis+Second+Level+meeting+room+layout.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366732025120890850" /></a>Here's a map of the second level, showing all the programming rooms. There wasn't much going on at either location that day, so we didn't have much opportunity to check out the program spaces. One smaller room was open however, and we did get some photos.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLU6ClmayTT-Jvh3gfufsC7YHuD9qzlgkxBwq7Lbkavhg9n4j4DA1CDXXN9qR_812yqjZ1DBeFOjSXZXMSKr73zPCjsYZBvMHz9KnfSysGJnd-2PEw61TmdvObTOj0bzOWi3A6/s1600-h/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby2.JPG"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLU6ClmayTT-Jvh3gfufsC7YHuD9qzlgkxBwq7Lbkavhg9n4j4DA1CDXXN9qR_812yqjZ1DBeFOjSXZXMSKr73zPCjsYZBvMHz9KnfSysGJnd-2PEw61TmdvObTOj0bzOWi3A6/s400/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731785362545842" /></a>Above is another programming lobby area. Everything is wide, more lobby than corridor. Of course, this being a convention, things may get filled up exhibits, fan-tables and the like, but at the moment, it all looks quite spacious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVG0AI_LN-b8xf9qX9-7fUpwSKiUrk6GGGaNp6tgA60GCUg3OC8YZvdROqJmyQZXVCFL02mfc_EjKUBBzmLQqEuEomsTFWVlnn3DWSIjqFb_sE6uy79KYMmEDnSPhVcskL7QQy/s1600-h/Atlantis+Meeting+Room.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVG0AI_LN-b8xf9qX9-7fUpwSKiUrk6GGGaNp6tgA60GCUg3OC8YZvdROqJmyQZXVCFL02mfc_EjKUBBzmLQqEuEomsTFWVlnn3DWSIjqFb_sE6uy79KYMmEDnSPhVcskL7QQy/s400/Atlantis+Meeting+Room.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731689095354930" /></a>Here's the smaller program room I mentioned. I assume it's pretty typical of the hotel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiJswGQssI-WgT36CTb4PLPWQ6AmRJIzcno5vJ1Zi0zx48hcu1KwA6n-ihq-aolBNlv_y13OUJLSi0Bj7R7mDe2tu-ESo7o8KSaoTAlL293iUCmcazvseORKysehotsPWKxda/s1600-h/Atlantis+Meeting+Room2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiJswGQssI-WgT36CTb4PLPWQ6AmRJIzcno5vJ1Zi0zx48hcu1KwA6n-ihq-aolBNlv_y13OUJLSi0Bj7R7mDe2tu-ESo7o8KSaoTAlL293iUCmcazvseORKysehotsPWKxda/s400/Atlantis+Meeting+Room2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731568056318514" /></a>Another angle. For the record, this is one of the "Treasures" rooms on the rear of the hotel. See the map photo for to get a better idea of where this is.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT1qgttjnjV4lzUwyBHIpW2URsdb3-oiYXr45oaCnoOVLOpPi49fTPrVFrPV6nw917mbcqSWYR8NzChtKh5_HjwG0TUAao7tG_jeT7Rq_M0bnYJ4C2p4Rq3tKlbjCPh9hk_DL/s1600-h/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT1qgttjnjV4lzUwyBHIpW2URsdb3-oiYXr45oaCnoOVLOpPi49fTPrVFrPV6nw917mbcqSWYR8NzChtKh5_HjwG0TUAao7tG_jeT7Rq_M0bnYJ4C2p4Rq3tKlbjCPh9hk_DL/s400/Atlantis+Meeting+Room+Lobby3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731468290383426" /></a>This is the "Grand Foyer" another lobby area on the second level, near the Napa Bistro. Quite nice.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xe-G-f5RdUpmjxQWpEEC16cnnN4UFQxq3oTawqqyDYEz5nBQFDjQ6n2Eu3Ie9kcbRVmcN2fo4aVDYhObp9dpJirl5HLyOoV3hfHb3Kq_mhuVeKxL87YTQnCpfpUaaqxD8yGN/s1600-h/2nd+Level+Bistro.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xe-G-f5RdUpmjxQWpEEC16cnnN4UFQxq3oTawqqyDYEz5nBQFDjQ6n2Eu3Ie9kcbRVmcN2fo4aVDYhObp9dpJirl5HLyOoV3hfHb3Kq_mhuVeKxL87YTQnCpfpUaaqxD8yGN/s400/2nd+Level+Bistro.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731290029929938" /></a>Above: the Napa Bistro.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FSBhCcrSHIFAHKg8Hi4nX7PJ39sccairki-i8OYawAg4_D7F7yS07NKzuJ1y2ZnwjoMv1r_M6aEWigImVH3sMRw4G_zp9XbEKnUe8LnHPNuC9obenOiPISLzmuRNskgwLOi0/s1600-h/2nd+level+arcade.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FSBhCcrSHIFAHKg8Hi4nX7PJ39sccairki-i8OYawAg4_D7F7yS07NKzuJ1y2ZnwjoMv1r_M6aEWigImVH3sMRw4G_zp9XbEKnUe8LnHPNuC9obenOiPISLzmuRNskgwLOi0/s400/2nd+level+arcade.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731172467651506" /></a>Here's part of the arcade, also on the second level.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7mcoY_XThKPzCB2zJIUFspAOfY1fHzMz5utvY_ysJFxFnzNgXgTmd82yqbzL_C72uvIvruuUEG_yxh9yvC0gUbdb-ZLmYa_qvrHILxBprmzsWjcfiZ2Ad7LQQ6EZrciB4jjS/s1600-h/Convention+Center+Layout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7mcoY_XThKPzCB2zJIUFspAOfY1fHzMz5utvY_ysJFxFnzNgXgTmd82yqbzL_C72uvIvruuUEG_yxh9yvC0gUbdb-ZLmYa_qvrHILxBprmzsWjcfiZ2Ad7LQQ6EZrciB4jjS/s400/Convention+Center+Layout.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366731035709572162" /></a>Here's a view from one of the glass elevators in the Atlantis, showing more of the layout.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyTLO9VZ_Ec3YUdPL8D_nV0b5HtRr1Nju97nZJc1-2KXeVfcjz_URU77JenK3tym9SUK8FM-SmXem_zc_aQ_ArPDq1e24Cp9jK_AqvgO32pjto-zIvIDH6iWU3gEjSDQ73Cy/s1600-h/Atlantis+Spa+level+and+pool.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiyTLO9VZ_Ec3YUdPL8D_nV0b5HtRr1Nju97nZJc1-2KXeVfcjz_URU77JenK3tym9SUK8FM-SmXem_zc_aQ_ArPDq1e24Cp9jK_AqvgO32pjto-zIvIDH6iWU3gEjSDQ73Cy/s400/Atlantis+Spa+level+and+pool.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730959631880434" /></a>From the elevator looking into the spa level and indoor pool there. There's also supposedly an outdoor pool, but we didn't manage to find it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkrF_4IY9Rsqmj8Udy8aUzCKDy8lqsyCr6AXyyOEYrUKi5r5VEao30xYoPYGeFCtrbdwFpkXF8QtKRFK3kw-qpY5i-nHqbiB4srEracXrYX6UjMrf0CbK2r2SYhH8w_4RDWM9/s1600-h/Convention+Center+Loading+dock+locator.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkrF_4IY9Rsqmj8Udy8aUzCKDy8lqsyCr6AXyyOEYrUKi5r5VEao30xYoPYGeFCtrbdwFpkXF8QtKRFK3kw-qpY5i-nHqbiB4srEracXrYX6UjMrf0CbK2r2SYhH8w_4RDWM9/s400/Convention+Center+Loading+dock+locator.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730884738376178" /></a>A look at the Convention Center from higher in the Atlantis.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlEG6F0K6Js9dN4MdrcAkFMJ6Nl4gLvCeNdeSy3jsUqyjdW8HwlYl9Nwk-GfB4l-KJUtCCPpvPXUzE96oZBrUeYnJxJ4s4RIAU3je0a0MIUbc7lmbAB5u0MLIttNewYn4g7_b/s1600-h/Atlantis+Parking+Layout.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 380px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlEG6F0K6Js9dN4MdrcAkFMJ6Nl4gLvCeNdeSy3jsUqyjdW8HwlYl9Nwk-GfB4l-KJUtCCPpvPXUzE96oZBrUeYnJxJ4s4RIAU3je0a0MIUbc7lmbAB5u0MLIttNewYn4g7_b/s400/Atlantis+Parking+Layout.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730800811435282" /></a>Looking down from the elevator to the parking skybridge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI4APhvxKpLSWiYmPNcjo2OzNXvuaIyAyHYJYYrRQ8kJBzKuFKUiOuaWBrFO4VkH5yta-Baf837uzrV34VuBZ1A9adP0DSg7K_TvJDeS3fxylkcjq0Ebz7o2N9lxsCBCMuHAP/s1600-h/Tower+Guestroom+Hallway.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI4APhvxKpLSWiYmPNcjo2OzNXvuaIyAyHYJYYrRQ8kJBzKuFKUiOuaWBrFO4VkH5yta-Baf837uzrV34VuBZ1A9adP0DSg7K_TvJDeS3fxylkcjq0Ebz7o2N9lxsCBCMuHAP/s400/Tower+Guestroom+Hallway.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730724636698978" /></a>A guest room hallway on the third level of the tower. I assume this is typical. No, we didn't see any of the rooms.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQa5NN7yDJfueq-flZ9RYKOuoXpYe6OhSXX7zwMt29XEmAHgX6U4j47wGYZCZpqd3waaM_H2L-jD7rprwHZVWwHdrEZGQRoMuD8piK0NgUufaN3-hBYT0VKqOiUtV8IeyoWdV_/s1600-h/Atlantis+Elevator+Lobby.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQa5NN7yDJfueq-flZ9RYKOuoXpYe6OhSXX7zwMt29XEmAHgX6U4j47wGYZCZpqd3waaM_H2L-jD7rprwHZVWwHdrEZGQRoMuD8piK0NgUufaN3-hBYT0VKqOiUtV8IeyoWdV_/s400/Atlantis+Elevator+Lobby.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730661844525618" /></a>Looking down into the elevator atrium area. There's another nice seating area in the trees behind the elevators.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1FfnSkNGWRV4lGDyhK3GOVCp18AdN-DtrkpZVO0ArSCuYfYVUsWucef5Wtnz9SFp1FPHEBtaxhygMvEJ0f_oky_CGe7R1fxl43T_bfrAAP6EPXn_3HKZwLpKMyasve2LlNCG/s1600-h/Behind+Atlantis+Elevators.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1FfnSkNGWRV4lGDyhK3GOVCp18AdN-DtrkpZVO0ArSCuYfYVUsWucef5Wtnz9SFp1FPHEBtaxhygMvEJ0f_oky_CGe7R1fxl43T_bfrAAP6EPXn_3HKZwLpKMyasve2LlNCG/s400/Behind+Atlantis+Elevators.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730566070225362" /></a>The afore-mentioned seating area.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kj-7M65iyx1r2GgQlx4i7X8S_g3Khi7D2jBgrXHvCElugNRE4PzxSOtAN_VQoc_dOiyYWBSOMJAnY8Xz01KnGKnax3XKV3c66WUjjdCzn4BcQj8UWipKFfm3kZTOmI3QfmW2/s1600-h/Atlantis+Elevator+Atrium.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 321px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kj-7M65iyx1r2GgQlx4i7X8S_g3Khi7D2jBgrXHvCElugNRE4PzxSOtAN_VQoc_dOiyYWBSOMJAnY8Xz01KnGKnax3XKV3c66WUjjdCzn4BcQj8UWipKFfm3kZTOmI3QfmW2/s400/Atlantis+Elevator+Atrium.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730518543894210" /></a>Looking up at the elevators.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA2PGW15v3eEMWmvmgrAhfdGf-VA3372f5lPoVGMnIz43dOQP4q-03WCKNEfzpudyDcugCMfk1I6ZDOZF8QdRdwl7NiM_V2MLL1-26u05Hacx_E2ZmH1_SdKqdDvbOBK8VPx4/s1600-h/Loading+Docks+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA2PGW15v3eEMWmvmgrAhfdGf-VA3372f5lPoVGMnIz43dOQP4q-03WCKNEfzpudyDcugCMfk1I6ZDOZF8QdRdwl7NiM_V2MLL1-26u05Hacx_E2ZmH1_SdKqdDvbOBK8VPx4/s400/Loading+Docks+1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730454924152722" /></a>Of course, we know what concom, artists, dealer are REALLY interested in. Here are some shots of the loading docks and doors on the rear of the convention center. We figured somebody might find them useful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLCeQhjOsF-yb24rO9cUg4Yco_e2EzpuNSfFyXV2KH-EBDw-Omc0zP2B_-JtZcD51byfF9lZeVI0uPvXBdZHAJML3DjTsBG1tf9BwuMMCM4C0kjq2cLpWZI9vaPIeFQyOyquw/s1600-h/Loading+Docks+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLCeQhjOsF-yb24rO9cUg4Yco_e2EzpuNSfFyXV2KH-EBDw-Omc0zP2B_-JtZcD51byfF9lZeVI0uPvXBdZHAJML3DjTsBG1tf9BwuMMCM4C0kjq2cLpWZI9vaPIeFQyOyquw/s400/Loading+Docks+2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730405383278850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFXFHwBo9AzNIa2b7Hw8t4Bb5A_taf4kTtTyzNeHf_3FTyxk4qVfxDT_ebsEme5m9tjV1VuOHobc1Xbqiicl702Zp7eLssT5ArodMlZaeDMoZL-affsVXhBxfdw48Q3Bh2pKP/s1600-h/Loading+Docks+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFXFHwBo9AzNIa2b7Hw8t4Bb5A_taf4kTtTyzNeHf_3FTyxk4qVfxDT_ebsEme5m9tjV1VuOHobc1Xbqiicl702Zp7eLssT5ArodMlZaeDMoZL-affsVXhBxfdw48Q3Bh2pKP/s400/Loading+Docks+3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730353962220450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOalCCVtUB2BbawDcvriLYCS6qc_gNlHTkm-hF5j0lnJT02wt372X6UVIFx-ZPuzahQFamjAnF2qyVkulhdnG1NNqsv8K3pHGoGGg8N9pw4nJhhRNvkcG67mPx4IkXpthM32ZD/s1600-h/Loading+Docks+4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOalCCVtUB2BbawDcvriLYCS6qc_gNlHTkm-hF5j0lnJT02wt372X6UVIFx-ZPuzahQFamjAnF2qyVkulhdnG1NNqsv8K3pHGoGGg8N9pw4nJhhRNvkcG67mPx4IkXpthM32ZD/s400/Loading+Docks+4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730289828042210" /></a>Finally, just because these came out cool, and it really isn't apparent from our other shots, Reno is located in some very beautiful country, and we got a wonderful sunset after a little rainstorm that rolled through during our visit to Atlantis. These photo were actually taken from our room in the Circus Circus Casino downtown, where we stayed this trip. It's just a few miles from the Peppermill in old-Reno.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxnHVXWowwIW2DLmVQq28pH_grhfzltnYSUPd6dhJIFJtlHgI8X4EGt90REYFm1_hyphenhyphenOk_EgBKrwV1LXVV5Gomq8Y2c3vxuHDYySTNL_-7wJqbWMgbGRF_iutRgF_16XJqNRxm/s1600-h/Reno+Sunset.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxnHVXWowwIW2DLmVQq28pH_grhfzltnYSUPd6dhJIFJtlHgI8X4EGt90REYFm1_hyphenhyphenOk_EgBKrwV1LXVV5Gomq8Y2c3vxuHDYySTNL_-7wJqbWMgbGRF_iutRgF_16XJqNRxm/s400/Reno+Sunset.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730218373019602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCyoKsGsRbYmR1angZGylxZ5mDJEIdwveMj4ze4HIFW2grXjZtttw7CINwLjnrWxeu-g4HiQraL7NL_Ri1cF8EU2xpjxmCYana-DCP7ZOBJkVVbjO9k12MkpWB__yuNmDgxlY/s1600-h/Reno+Sunset2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCyoKsGsRbYmR1angZGylxZ5mDJEIdwveMj4ze4HIFW2grXjZtttw7CINwLjnrWxeu-g4HiQraL7NL_Ri1cF8EU2xpjxmCYana-DCP7ZOBJkVVbjO9k12MkpWB__yuNmDgxlY/s400/Reno+Sunset2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366730160341410450" /></a>Questions? Comments? Go for it. We'll do our best to help. </div><div><br /></div><div>We're also likely to be making other trips through Reno before the convention, so if you have specific information requests, we'll try to help as best we can.</div><em></em>J. Steven Yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005909772287389627noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-5546693324280146522009-03-11T23:38:00.000-07:002009-03-15T20:47:05.481-07:00Staying Flexible; or Keep On Keepin' OnThe other day at work I needed to get in a bottom drawer of the file cabinet. I squatted down next to the drawer, pulled it out, grabbed the papers I needed and stood back up. Now this doesn't sound like much - unless you've taken a look at the pictures in the sidebar and you know I'm somewhere on the shady side of 40 (very shady!) and rather round. Not a lithe physical specimen.<br /><br />One of my office mates expressed admiration for my ability to do what amounted to a deep-knee-bend and stand up without pulling myself up on a chair. At the time I told her it was someting I had always done, so I was always able to do it. As long as I don't <strong>stop </strong>doing deep knee bends, at least occasionally, I will still be able to do them.<br /><br />So tonight, when I was trying to figure out why the writing was going so slow, I made the connection: I am doing something I haven't done before.<br /><br />Up until now, I've written single books. I've done a book in nine or ten weeks while working a full-time job. It isn't impossible. But I have never had multiple books back-to-back. I've always been able to take a few weeks off, or work at a more leisurely pace, between books. Yes, I've always had another project waiting for attention, but I didn't have to keep up the 10-week pace.<br /><br />Then a three-book series came along. When I set my deadlines I figured 10-weeks, plus an extra couple weeks in case of emergencies, one week for an already-planned vacation, and an extra week for the holidays. What I didn't plan for was the lack of experience at <strong>maintaining </strong>that 10-week pace.<br /><br />It was like trying to run a steeplechase based on my experience doing knee bends. Same basic anatomy, totally different skill set.<br /><br />Or to strerch the running metaphor a little farther, what I naively set up was three back-to-back sprints. What I needed was a marathon. I knew I could do an all-out assault on the manuscript as I sprinted to the deadline. I'd done that before. I didn't know how to pace myself for a long-haul and set my goals accordingly. I didn't know how to run that writing marathon.<br /><br />I need to learn the marathon skill set, and I'm taking this lesson to heart so I can plan better in the future.<br /><br />And I'm starting to train for the marathon that helps defines a long-term writing career. Even though I may write in sprints in the future, I am learning that different projects require different skill sets. <br /><br />Just like knee bends and hurdles.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-58693578674584616672009-02-24T22:40:00.000-08:002009-03-07T17:36:46.753-08:00Secret Identities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03PatyrM9EMDguzi8CBP11maQaIEYKx_3mnv3uT-mh6I4n15D9X7ohXY26l4Djj6fN-9lRI-Fw2vkl0OXON6G-R8m1WWEsh1xPrWc5K0sofDB5W2YXrK9NTDj7rP60Lpc1OCP/s1600-h/Christy-Evans-Button-antique-frame--leaky+faucet-w600-h200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg03PatyrM9EMDguzi8CBP11maQaIEYKx_3mnv3uT-mh6I4n15D9X7ohXY26l4Djj6fN-9lRI-Fw2vkl0OXON6G-R8m1WWEsh1xPrWc5K0sofDB5W2YXrK9NTDj7rP60Lpc1OCP/s400/Christy-Evans-Button-antique-frame--leaky+faucet-w600-h200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310624827975002226" border="0" /></a><br />Months ago I posted about having a new identity as "Herbie's Mom." At the time, I said it would be cool to have a secret identity, and I still believe that.<br /><br />Well, this month I got a temporary secret identity. It was fun to be undercover, but it's time to make it not-so-secret and to announce some cool news.<br /><br />My cool new un-secret identity? Christy Evans, Mystery Writer.<br /><br />And the news? I am currently writing the third book in Christy Evans's new series for Berkley Prime Crime. The first book of the Lady Plumber Mysteries, SINK TRAP, is already in production and will be released in October. Book two, LEAD PIPE CINCH is turned in, with a tentative release of February 2011, and CRAWL SPACE is due next month for release in June 2012.<br /><br />This is a new genre for me to write, but it's actually taking me back to a genre I have loved all my life. SINK TRAP is dedicated to my Uncle Darrell, and his enabling my mystery addiction.<br /><br />I can't remember a time when I couldn't read and always assumed my mother taught me in self defense. After all, you can only read The Little Engine That Could, or the latest Humpty Dumpty Magazine so many times before you run screaming. Teach your kid to read, you're spared many hours of the same story over and over.<br /><br />Mom, however, refuses to take any responsibility. She says I taught myself when I was about three - not that she wasn't relieved, but she still blames me.<br /><br />Anyway, there I was at three, four and five, devouring anything I could get my hands on. I quickly went through all the beginner books and started in on bigger and better things. In the process I discovered Nancy Drew and read every one of them in the course of a few months. (It was a long time ago, there weren't as many titles as there are now, okay?)<br /><br />From Nancy Drew I moved on. I read the Walter Farley Black Stallion series before I knew what a series was, and sampled many others. We didn't have a school library, but the public library - a branch of the L.A. County system - was only a few blocks away and the teacher walked the entire class to the library every couple weeks. I of course went back several times in between.<br /><br />By the age of ten I had finished with the children's section and was beginning to explore the adult section in an effort to feed my growing addiction for words, sentences, paragraphs, pages and chapters.<br /><br />Uncle Darrell wasn't really my uncle - he was my mother's uncle. He was nearly fifty when I was born, a life-long bachelor who lived with his widowed father, my great-grandfather. We always visited Grandpa and Darrell after church on Sunday afternoon, and those are some of my favorite memories.<br /><br />Darrell never treated me like a child. When he and his two sisters did the vocabulary quiz in the Reader's Digest I was allowed to join in. He encouraged me to play chess tournaments at his local club, and I don't think he ever said I couldn't do something because I was too young. Or because I was a girl. For obvious reasons, I adored Uncle Darrell.<br /><br />I don't know if Perry Mason was an appropriate read for a ten-year-old girl, but Uncle Darrell thought it was. When I picked up a Perry Mason mystery one Sunday afternoon and started reading he offered to lend it to me since he was finished reading. He told me I could bring it back the next week.<br /><br />From that moment on I was hooked on mysteries. Where I had liked Nancy Drew, I <strong>loved </strong>Perry Mason. I didn't want to be Della Street when I grew up, I wanted to be Perry Mason. Every week I would trade Uncle Darrell the book I had finished for a new one, which I would eagerly dive into the minute I got my mitts on it and not come up for air until I reached the thrilling courtroom conclusion where the bad guys were trapped and Perry emerged victorious once again.<br /><br />Nothing lasts forever, and eventually I ran out of Perry Mason. But by then I knew where the mystery section of the library was and I could find other writers. Earl Stanley Gardner is gone, and so is Uncle Darrell. But the love of mystery they instilled in that ten-year-old girl lives on.<br /><br />And now, much to my delight, I get to write a mystery novel - actually three mystery novels! - and send them out into the world for other readers to share. I can only hope that someone, somewhere, will fall in love with my heroine, the way I did with Perry Mason.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-42178681291869483312008-12-12T20:28:00.000-08:002008-12-12T23:04:35.741-08:00The No-Hope Publishing PlanRecently I read an article in the local paper profiling a woman who started a small press publishing company. She characterizes the venture as a “pay-to-publish” service. She doesn’t attempt to hide the fact that any author whose book she accepts will pay out of their own pocket for editorial and production services and costs. Distribution and promotion is the responsibility of the author, or those services are available for an additional fee.<br /><br />I don’t have any problem with this. She’s straight-forward about what she’s doing. A writer goes in knowing it will cost them money. It’s a choice the writer must make. I don’t think it’s a good choice, and my husband, writer J. Steven York, has written about why on his blog <a href="http://york-multiplex.blogspot.com/2008/12/vanity-isnt-easy.html">http://york-multiplex.blogspot.com/2008/12/vanity-isnt-easy.html</a><br /><br />What bothered me was the rationalizations she gave for why her service was a good alternative to traditional publishing. They are the same ones I see every time the subject of vanity presses comes up.<br /><br />I call them the <strong>No-Hope Publishing Plan.</strong><br /><br />Why? Because they all hinge on the assertion that the writer has no hope of being published by a traditional publisher. You know, the kind that send you checks instead of the other way around.<br /><br />And just what are these No-Hope “facts”?<br /><br />“Nobody buys a book from a first-time writer.” Oooookay. This is impossible. If “nobody” buys a first book, there cannot be any books sold. Logically, every writer ever published sold a first book. Maybe not the first one they wrote, but that isn’t what the no-hope brigade claims. Stephen King sold CARRIE, Tony Hillerman sold THE BLESSING WAY, Stephanie Meyer sold TWILIGHT, and Nora Roberts sold IRISH THOROUGHBRED. Even J.K. Rowling sold HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE. They were all first books.<br /><br />“You can’t sell a book without an agent.” Really, No-Hope Brigade? I just sold three myself, and I know a lot of other writers who have managed similar things. You want an agent for a lot of other reasons, but it simply isn’t true that you can’t sell without an agent.<br /><br />“You can’t get an agent if you haven’t sold a book.” Look around. There are agent blogs all over the ‘Net, and every one of them trumpets when they sign a new writer who has bowled them over with a fantastic book.<br /><br />“Publishers only want books from best-sellers.” Walk into any bookstore in this country, even the tiny ones. There are a lot of shelves in there. Even a writer as prolific as Nora Roberts or Stephen King or James Patterson can’t fill all those shelves. Somebody else has to write some of those books.<br /><br />“Writers can’t make any money. The publisher gets it all.” Traditional publishing contracts call for an advance against royalties. Royalties means the writer gets a percentage of <strong>every sale made</strong>. When that total exceeds the pre-payment (“advance”), the writer start getting checks. Checks that will continue to come as long as the book continues to sell. If you write a really good book, those checks keep coming for a long time – even after you die. The publisher absorbs all the up-front costs, including your advance, and doesn’t start making money until all those costs are recovered.<br /><br />“The publisher can change your title.” <br />“The publisher can edit your book without your permission.”<br />“The publisher can put whatever cover they want on your book and you have no say, even if it’s awful.” These are all things that <strong>can </strong>happen. If you let them. Each of these, and many more, are subject to negotiation when you and the publisher work out the contract. This is where your agent really earns their commission, helping you negotiate the best possible contract terms. The No-Hope Brigade will tell you that you don’t have any control. Not true. The publisher can’t do any of these things without your permission in the form on a legal contract.<br /><br />Every one of these arguments boils down to a single argument: You have no hope as a writer, and the only way you will ever see your book in print is to give me a pile of money.<br /><br />Don’t believe them. Don’t let the No-Hope Brigade take your dreams – and your money.<br /><br /><strong>You deserve better.<br /><br /></strong>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-78213060785477806082008-06-19T21:00:00.000-07:002008-06-19T21:14:42.055-07:00A Thumbnail Cover Gallery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pGiHKRoESt_kY5L60-lRVU6H7KiJLzC63UXxNyWUm7TyGwRp8smYP3QaDZjBVxaf1-d4NFmt3UnenxvkYpBll4Zj70yu6o0RCHy-HZfYGs1CxKAQqv8Bqj8gK4shyphenhyphengN6QzLu/s1600-h/Covers-jun-07.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pGiHKRoESt_kY5L60-lRVU6H7KiJLzC63UXxNyWUm7TyGwRp8smYP3QaDZjBVxaf1-d4NFmt3UnenxvkYpBll4Zj70yu6o0RCHy-HZfYGs1CxKAQqv8Bqj8gK4shyphenhyphengN6QzLu/s400/Covers-jun-07.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213812277811749714" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click on the picture for a larger version.</span><br /><br />Hi, Chris's husband Steve here, bumping in because Chris hasn't posted in a while. (She's currently working on a three-book mystery contract for Berkley Prime Crime, so at least she now has an excuse). I originally did this post for <a href="http://york-multiplex.blogspot.com/">my own blog,</a> but decided that since it concerned Chris, I'd make it here too.<br /><br />A while back I started collecting recent covers from books in which Chris and I were published and combined them into a single graphic to use as a backdrop for our oft-neglected web-page. I realized today that I hadn't updated it in a long time, so I wasted several hours this afternoon tracking down covers (new ones, and old ones that I hadn't included before), resizing, and editing them in.<br /><br />This is what I came up with. It still isn't complete. For example, I can think of at least four anthologies that aren't included (with several more coming before the year is out), plus a computer game (yeah, there are already two computer games in the grid that I wrote for), and a non-fiction book. I'll add another row later this year if I think of it.<br /><br />It's been my experience that if you write and publish enough, you quickly start to forget things that you did, even if they were only a few years ago. Having an "at a glance" cover gallery like this is a bit of an ego booster, and a reminder on the hard days that you <span style="font-style: italic;">have </span>accomplished something.<br /><br />(Now that I've posted this, I look over and see the cover for "Fantasy Gone Wrong," which I didn't include. So make that <span style="font-style:italic;">five </span>anthologies. However, I also noticed that I had "Transformers Legends" in there twice, so I edited things so "Fantasy Gone Wrong" is in its place. Fix!)<br /><br />-SteveJ. Steven Yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005909772287389627noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-41006169775045865042007-07-28T00:45:00.000-07:002007-07-28T01:44:49.882-07:00Overwhelmed!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnAqfYWJ1xmG3qKsV9qV0C7uQF4v-sI3CXl4DnabVrY4GclxFXb0n3KQ1tXKIygMK_4lgtYiWj38k-8sQWkcATAVIGhQWqZHRijJMGrW15fh7RNxaX4vwIxoICCAYbOcnop39ag/s1600-h/comicon+2007+exibition+floor.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnAqfYWJ1xmG3qKsV9qV0C7uQF4v-sI3CXl4DnabVrY4GclxFXb0n3KQ1tXKIygMK_4lgtYiWj38k-8sQWkcATAVIGhQWqZHRijJMGrW15fh7RNxaX4vwIxoICCAYbOcnop39ag/s320/comicon+2007+exibition+floor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092054549060444354" /></a><br /><br />Chris here, on the road, posting on Steve's account because I forgot my password.<br /><br />I have now experienced a tiny fraction of the amazing thing called Comic-con. I ache from walking several miles. I know I saw very little of what was available. I still can't wrap my brain around the enormity and complexity of what I <strong>did </strong>manage to see.<br /><br />And we went on a "slow" day!<br /><br />Of course, the entire process was complicated by the simple fact that we are staying about 70 miles from the San Diego Convention Center. We drove about 90 minutes Thursday morning to Qualcomm Stadium, parked the car, caught the trolley for a 25 minute ride to the Convention Center, then walked the block or so to the Center. It is "across the street" from the trolley stop, but the "steet" is about eight lanes wide. We were fortunate enough to find the professional registration entrance line, where check-in was swift and relatively painless, thanks to the bar code confirmation that had been e-mailed to us.<br /><br />Then we headed for the Exhibit Hall, literal acres of floor space, packed with vendor and exhibitor booths. It seemed like every major purveyor of pop culture was represented, and many minor ones.<br /><br />We were accompanied by our son, and two-year-old granddaughter - due to a re-scheduled final exam, our daughter-in-law didn't get to go. A stroller is a fabulous way to corral the baby, and haul stuff, but it's a real pain to navigate in the crowd. You spend most of your time trying to avoid running over the feet of the people crowding around you, cutting in front of you, or crossing your path without looking. There were some areas we simply couldn't get to because the crowds were too thick to allow us through.<br /><br />Did I mention we went on a "slow" day?<br /><br />We saw the art show, which was a mixed bag, as are most art shows. Zoe loved the six-foot-tall, welded steel sculptures. She took one look, grinned, and said "monster." Then she said, "Mine." Her dad inspected the bid ticket, and told her she would have to choose between the monster and a college education. Unfortunately, dad and her grandparents out-voted her, and the monster did <em>not </em> accompany us on the trolley home.<br /><br />One little bit of marketing we tried was to order buttons for the freebie table. The 750 or so that we took in Thursday morning disappeared in a flash, and I did spot one occasionally in the crowd. They are a simple black-and-white "EVIL IS NOT MY NATURE. EVIL IS JUST MY DAY JOB" with the Website for Steve's Web cartoon blog <a href="www.minonsatwork.com">Minions at Work.</a> Given that last year's attendance was in the neighborhood if 123,000, that 750 is a drop in the bucket. But it will be interesting to see if it drives any traffic to the Website.<br /><br />We were pleasantly surprised at the food available in the Convention Center. It wasn't cheap (we didn't expect it to be), but the hot dogs ($4) were good quality, and large enough to provide a reasonable lunch. The other surprise was that there are apparently no restrictions on carrying in your own food, unlike many venues. And the line to buy said hot dogs was only 12 minutes long. I know this because one of the boys sharing our table (table space and chairs are at a premium), when asked how long the line was, answered, "Twelve minutes. I timed it." Make of that what you will. :-)<br /><br />One of the strangest things in a crowd of that size - and, did I mention, we went on a "slow" day? - is running into people you know. Scott Edelman, fellow SF writer, editor, and all around good guy - took our picture, just to prove we were there. We also saw a couple old friends, and our daughter's ex-boyfriend (they're on good terms, no Jerry Springer fodder here), as well as several editors we know.<br /><br />We left the Center about 5, to have a drink with the folks from Paradox Entertainment, the people behind the World of Conan. Steve wrote a trilogy for them a couple years ago, and they were kind enough to include us in their party. We had a wonderful time, and would have stayed longer, but we'd abandoned Zoe and her dad, so we left after a delightful 90 minutes. I have to say, Leigh and Frederick were absolutely delightful, Josh and Tom were super, and fellow writer (and Scribe nominee) Matt Forbeck is simply amazing! The Amazing Mr. Forbeck is in the same category as I am for Sunday's awards, and I have to admit to mixed feelings. I want to win, sure, but I want him to win, too. He's really that nice!<br /><br />After the Paradox party, we retrieved the over-stimulated two-year-old (isn't that just a scary phrase?) and joined the mass exodus to the trolley. The ride back to the car was hot, crowded, and seemed to last forever. But we finally got back to the stadium, reclaimed the car, and headed home. Zoe was asleep in about five minutes, and I wished I could join her. It was one very long day, filled with more input than I have been able to process so far.<br /><br />And, did I mention, we went on a "slow" day?<br /><br />We're going back to Sunday, for the awards ceremony, and my moment of fame as a panelist at the biggest pop-culture convention of the year. Then Monday morning we head home to Oregon, and back to our regularly-scheduled lives.<br /><br />I think I'm looking forward to it!J. Steven Yorkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00005909772287389627noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-34656280238651919862007-07-15T15:46:00.000-07:002007-07-15T16:09:39.535-07:00Things That Make Me HappySeveral months ago, I posted about making a reputation, and getting into anthologies. Since then, I was invited to submit stories for a couple anthos, and I am happy to report that "To The Top" will appear in WITCH HIGH, and "Cupid's Crib" sold to ENCHANTMENT PLACE. Both books are edited by a very savvy woman named Denise Little, who is a true delight to work with - and who, of course, has exquisite taste, having bought both my stories. <grin><br /><br />It makes me happy to make a sale, and it gives me some outside validation, which a writer needs now and then. Face it, we sit alone in a room and make stuff up. Weeks - or months, or years - later, it appears in print, and you occasionally get feedback from a reader. But for the most part, you work completely alone, and a writer is most definitely NOT the best judge of her own work. In fact, you're usually the worst judge of your work. Which makes outside validation a very nice thing, indeed.<br /><br />Which brings me to the other thing that made me happy recently. Just yesterday, in fact. This spring, I was a preliminary judge for the Rita, the RWA award for romance fiction. I received a box of several books, in a variety of categories, which I read and scored.<br /><br />Among those books was ADIOS TO MY OLD LIFE, by Barbara Ferrer, writing as Caridad Ferrer, from MTV Books. I was planning to buy the book, so it was a nice surprise in my box. What's more, while I thought I'd like it, it made me happy to find that I <span style="font-weight:bold;">LOVED </span>it. Fast forward to the announcements of the finalists, and there's ADIOS, on the short list as Best Contemporary Single Title! That made me very happy.<br /><br />Now, my happy feelings came from knowing that other people shared my opinion of ADIOS, a form of outside validation; the reassurance that I understood what made a "good" book.<br /><br />The best part, though, came with the announcement, last night, of this year's Rita winners. And (if you haven't guessed by now) ADIOS won the Rita! It made me happy to know that my opinion was validated, but that wasn't the most important thing. For me, the best part was knowing that a book I loved, a writer whose work I admired, and who I felt truly deserved the recognition, got the award.<br /><br />And if you haven't read this book yet, go get it. Now! <br /><br />Read. <br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br />Congratulations, Barbara!! A well-deserved award, and a fabulous book. I'll be looking for your next one.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-32855284674739973202007-07-01T10:55:00.000-07:002007-07-01T11:27:18.626-07:00No Joy?Writing, like life, comes complete with "issues." Some large, some small. Some good, some bad. The one thing they have in common is that they disrupt your schedule, confuse your brain, and generally make you turn things upside down and look at the seamy underbelly of what you're doing.<br />So, when a friend commented that she had "lost the joy" in writing, I found myself pondering the implications of that statement.<br />Somewhere along the line, if you want to make writing your career, it becomes A Job. Now, if you want to make a living at writing, this is a good thing. Writing is your job, and you have to be disciplined and dedicated, and willing to devote the time and attention any career deserves.<br />But there is something else buried in the subconscious of many of us, probably the residue of a blue-collar work ethic, that says "Job" is not equal to "Joy." <br />For many of us, no one ever said, "Find something you love, and do it for the rest of your life." Instead, they told us to find something we were good at, something stable, with a good future. What you're good at, though, isn't always something you truly love.<br />Of course, the current Dilbert strips illustrate the downside of "do what you love," what with the guy who wants to be a billionaire, but doesn't want to actually <span style="font-weight: bold;">do </span>anything for it, and similar characters. But, if you go from the premise that you need to produce income to put food on the table, working at something you truly love is the optimum solution.<br />But we can take something we love, turn it into A Job, and suddenly our brains tell us that it is Work, it's drudgery, it's what we <span style="font-weight: bold;">have </span>to do, not what we <span style="font-weight: bold;">want </span>to do. And that's when the joy goes away.<br />There are a lot of business aspects to a writing career. You are essentially running a small - or not so small - business, with all the record-keeping, marketing, promotion, financial management, and long-term planning that every business needs to succeed. Those things are necessary if you are going to be successful at your business.<br />But I think we do ourselves a disservice when we let those things intrude into our basic attitude toward writing; when we make writing A Job, and allow those voices in our head to tell us it can't be fun, because it is Work.<br />It's a difficult problem, and one that requires a writer to develop two personalities - the writer, and the businessman. I know many writers who don't consider business issues when they write. They don't try to fit their work into a particular niche, or force a story to a specific length, or deliberately censor their themes and vocabulary. But in general, they talk about those considerations stifling their creativity.<br />For me, joy is a different animal. Joy comes in the rush you get when you create a scene, put dialog in the mouths of your characters, choreograph a tricky bit of action, or evoke a strong emotion just with your words. Joy is the pleasure that comes from bringing the pictures in your brain to life on the page.<br />I am working on keeping that joy in my writing. I don't always succeed, but when I do, I think the results are stronger and truer, and ultimately more successful.<br /><br />I hope you can all find your joy.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-13237262994153445062007-03-24T01:08:00.000-07:002007-03-24T01:42:01.186-07:00Why YA?With the announcement of the IAMTW nomination, and the fact that Strategic Reserve was entered in the YA category, I have been getting a lot of questions about the YA genre. <br /><br />I chose to enter Strategic Reserve in the YA category, because I felt that was where its main appeal was. ALIAS seemed to be very strong with the young female audience, and the books appealed to that audience. The fans whose blogs and Webpages I read were primarily young women. It just seemed the right place for it.<br /><br /><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I don't claim to know all the answers, and would love to have other people chime in here, especially if you think I get something wrong. I would also love to have the recommendations of others about what books/writers are good in YA.</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Recommended writers, in no particular order:<br /><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Meg Cabot</span> - Princess Diaries/The Mediator series, and a bunch of others. I don't think this woman sleeps!</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Chris Crutcher</span> - WHALE TALK is one of the finest books I have ever read</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Francine Pascal <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- Sweet Valley High and spin-offs, Fearless, Fearless: FBI</span><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Anthony Horowitz</span> - the Alex Rider books, very British, kind of James Bond Junior<br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">James Patterson</span> - Maximum Ride books</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Carl Hiaasen</span> - HOOT and FLUSH - haven't read the Peter Pan books he did with Ridley Pearson, but I'd bet they're fun!</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Niki Burnham</span> - Spin Control Royally Jacked<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Nancy Krulik</span> - Love & Sk8<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Scott Westerfield</span> - The Uglies Trilogy<br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In looking over the list, I find that these are all very different writers. Which brings me to my first point.</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In YA, you can write ANYTHING! Mystery, sf, fantasy, contemporary, funny, dark, sweet, racy, historical, romantic, adventure - YA books cover the spectrum.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">YA covers every genre, and every tone. There are definite age categories: early readers, children's, middle grades, young adult. For now I am just lumping them all together, because otherwise I could spend a week just trying to sort out the sub-categories.<br /><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">WHALE TALK (mentioned above) has some serious, heavy themes and action. PRINCESS DIARIES is sweet and funny. Naylor's ALICE books are very sweet, and intended for younger (probably 9-12) readers. There are inspirational books in YA, just as there are in romance and mainstream.</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ethnic books are good. ADIOS TO MY OLD LIFE is a great read. I was planning to buy it, then got it in my Rita nominees, and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are Latina/Latino books, African-American, Asian - and those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Oh, and OPAL METHA was an Indian (as in India) protagonist. (Never mind the whole plagiarism thing. Point is, a book with an Indian girl as the protagonist was sold, and was slated for major publisher support, which means they expected it to do well.)</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There are a zillion publishers of YA out there, and series seems to be the name of the game. If you are interested in YA, you should sample a little of everything. Again, off the top of my head <br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;">Alex Rider (STORMBREAKER is the first)</span> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Princess Diaries</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">All-American Girl</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Gossip Girls</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Clique</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A-List</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The 310 series</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Fearless FBI</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">American Girl (multiple series in different time periods)</span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A few years ago, there was a line of ALIAS books that were straight YA (the ones I wrote were adult novels, but they had a wide YA appeal). A lot of other tie-ins have that same appeal to the YA audience: Buffy, Angel, Trek, etc. And then there are the "house name" books like the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. To tell the truth, I haven't actually checked, but I think those are still being produced. <br /><br /><br />This is a huge topic, and may take several posts, but I also recommend looking at the Websites and MySpace pages, and see what's out there. You may be very surprised! I also highly reading Agent Kristen Nelson's blog, Pub Rants (<a href="http://pubrants.blogspot.com/">http://pubrants.blogspot.com/) </a>She represents several YA writers, and her blog is interesting and informative about a lot of areas, not just YA.<br /><br /><br />OK. Enough for now. I have stories to write!<br /></span> </span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-462774990729510322007-03-24T00:58:00.000-07:002007-03-24T01:08:13.412-07:00It's a YA Thing!First, a bit of very cool news! Strategic Reserve, the ALIAS tie-in that came out last spring, has been short-listed as best YA tie-in novel by the IAMTW. That's the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, a professional group of tie-in writers. The awards will be presented at the San Diego ComicCon in July, which gives me a <span style="font-style: italic;">total </span>excuse to go to the con. Of course, there's the little matter of having to get to San Diego, and all that, but hey!<br /><br />I have more to say about that YA part, but first, here's the complete list of nominees. I am thrilled to be in the company of such accomplished master of the craft, and delighted that my book is among the nominees.<br /><br />More information about IAMTW, and the Scribe Awards, can be found at <a href="http://www.iamtw.org">www.iamtw.org</a><br /><br /><span class="body"><b>SPECULATIVE FICTION</b><br /><br /><span class="bodybluebold">BEST NOVEL—ADAPTED</span><br /><br />SLAINE: THE EXILE by <b>Steven Savile</b><br />SUPERMAN RETURNS by <b>Marv Wolfman</b><br />TOXIC AVENGER: THE NOVEL by <b>Lloyd Kaufman & Adam Jahnke</b><br />ULTRAVIOLET by <b>Yvonne Navarro</b><br />UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION by <b>Greg Cox</b><br /><br /><span class="bodybluebold">BEST NOVEL—ORIGINAL</span><br /><br />STAR TREK CRUCIBLE: McCOY—PROVENANCE OF SHADOWS by <b>David R. George III</b><br />STARGATE ATLANTIS: EXOGENESIS by <b>Sonny Whitelaw & Elizabeth Christensen</b><br />THIRTY DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by <b>Jeff Mariotte & Steve Niles</b><br />WARHAMMER: FAITH AND FIRE by <b>James Swallow</b><br />WARHAMMER: ORC SLAYER by <b>Nathan Long</b><br /><img src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" border="0" height="1" width="100" /><br /><br /> <b>GENERAL FICTION</b><br /><br /><span class="bodybluebold">BEST NOVEL - ADAPTED</span><br /><br />SNAKES ON A PLANE by <b>Christa Faust</b><br />THE PINK PANTHER by <b>Max Allan Collins</b><br /><br /><span class="bodybluebold">BEST NOVEL—ORIGINAL</span><br /><br />CSI NEW YORK: BLOOD ON THE SUN by <b>Stuart Kaminsky</b><br />LAS VEGAS: HIGH STAKES GAME by <b>Jeff Mariotte</b><br />MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII by <b>Lee Goldberg</b><br />OAKDALE CONFIDENTIAL: SECRETS REVEALED by <b>Alina Adams</b> <br /><img src="http://www.iamtw.org/images/mtk.gif" border="0" height="1" width="100" /><br /><br /> <b>YOUNG ADULT—ALL GENRES</b><br /><br /><span class="bodybluebold">BEST NOVEL</span><br /><br />ALIAS APO: STRATEGIC RESERVE by <b>Christina York</b><br />BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: PORTAL THROUGH TIME by <b>Alice Henderson</b><br />DRAGONLANCE: WARRIOR'S HEART by <b>Stephen Sullivan</b><br />KNIGHTS OF THE SILVER DRAGON: PROPHECY OF THE DRAGONS by <b>Matt Forbeck</b><br /></span>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-28928973400458256552007-02-23T00:29:00.000-08:002007-02-23T00:44:48.730-08:00You Are Not AloneAnother topic, and the one that’s on my mind today, is comparisons. Comparing your story, your goals, your accomplishments to those of anyone else can put you in the pit of despair faster than almost anything – whether it’s at work, at home, in your family, at school – anywhere in your life. But for a writer, these comparisons can be the death of your creative voice and energy. They can literally suck the life out of your writing and stop you completely. They can kill your career at any point along your path.<br /><br />No matter how hard we try, we can’t always stop the comparisons. We look at what’s going on around us, at what our friends are accomplishing, and, most especially, at what the people who aren’t our friends are doing. Writer X sold to Big Name Publisher. Writer Y landed a New York agent. Writer Z got invited into an anthology.<br /><br />And I didn’t. What’s wrong with me? Why didn’t the editor call me instead of them? Was it something I said? Something I didn’t say? What makes them better than me?<br /><br />Guess what? It’s none of the above. One writer’s career has nothing to do with another’s career. Just as no two writer’s stories are the same, no two writer’s careers are the same. We each have a path to follow, and no two careers are the same.<br /><br />I have talked to a lot of writers, and I’ve found out that we all have those moments. From the writer with a couple short stories, looking at their friend with a novel contract, to the multi-published best-seller looking at a J.K Rowling or Clive Cussler, we all do it, and we’re all wrong.<br /><br />I wish I could tell you all that we get over it, that we can find a way to control this behavior. But I can't. Sometimes I think I have it under control, then I find myself spiraling into one of those "she's so much better than me" stupidities, or "he got a request and I didn't." Even when I know better.<br /><br />Part of it, I think, is the nature of the job. Like I've talked about before, we sit alone at a computer and make stuff up. Including stupid comparisons.<br /><br />But, if it's any consolation, we're not alone. I promise.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-22490428016524681172007-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:002007-02-21T21:15:46.126-08:00Don't Be A Pinhead<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I spent a weekend in February at the Radcon science fiction convention, a great SF gathering in <st1:place><st1:city>Pasco</st1:City>, <st1:state>Washington</st1:State></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>In fact, I stole the title for this blog from their #1 rule of convention behavior.<span style=""> </span>We discovered Radcon last year, had a great time, and were pleased to be invited back this year.<span style=""> </span>It’s a great convention, and well worth the trip out to the middle of <st1:state><st1:place>Washington</st1:place></st1:State>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Disclaimer:<span style=""> </span>there will be grammar glitches throughout this rant, since using “they” and “them” for individuals is awkward.<span style=""> </span>But I am trying to avoid “him” and “her” in order to protect the innocent and guilty alike.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My husband (writer J. Steven York) and I have been attending conventions for more than 20 years – a number that I find utterly amazing.<span style=""> </span>It seems hard to believe that our first “con” was that long ago, in <st1:city><st1:place>Seattle</st1:place></st1:City> back in the early 1980s, and to consider the number of cons we have attended since.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Since that first Norwescon, we have attended as many as five or six conventions and conferences a year, and as few as one or two.<span style=""> </span>Finances, deadlines, day jobs, kids, all dictate how much time and money we can put into these trips.<span style=""> </span>And as we get older, the preparation, travel and recovery take a little longer, too, though I hate to admit it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But I had an unusual experience this weekend, and it got me to thinking.<span style=""> </span>Although I’ve been doing this for years, I got to watch a very talented friend go through their first con, and make some mistakes.<span style=""> </span>We all make mistakes in unfamiliar circumstances, and their mistakes were different from my first-timer missteps, but the vantage point of 20+ years experience allowed me to see some of the reasons these mistakes happened.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It wasn’t just ignorance, though that’s part of it.<span style=""> </span>It’s the mixed signals you get at a convention.<span style=""> </span>There are many flavors of cons/seminars/workshops, and you may not know whether you’re getting Chocolate Ripple, or Raspberry Sherbet, or maybe even Spumoni.<span style=""> </span>Each one delicious, each one appropriate to its own time and place, and each one incompatible with the others.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So, I’ve been thinking about what marks the difference among these various styles of gathering, and what the rules are for each.<span style=""> </span>I hope some people will disagree with me, or point out where I am dead wrong, but I think this is a discussion we ought to have.<span style=""> </span>And just maybe I can save someone from a mistake of their own.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Since it’s what’s at the front of my mind, I want to talk about fan conventions first.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The first writer gathering I ever attended as an adult, was a Norwescon.<span style=""> </span>It was a largish (2,000?) science fiction convention, held in an airport hotel in <st1:city><st1:place>Seattle</st1:place></st1:City>.<span style=""> </span>There were real writers in attendance, yes, but there were also thousands of fans, some in costumes (or mostly out of said costumes), an open bar in the hospitality suite, and a general air of “anything goes.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Over the years, conventions have tightened up a little.<span style=""> </span>There are no longer open bars in hospitality, although there is frequently beer, and more potent potables at the many private room parties.<span style=""> </span>“Nudity is not a costume” is another rule that has come into being.<span style=""> </span>There are tracks of age-appropriate programming for kids, many of whom are the offspring of people who were teens at those first conventions I attended.<span style=""> </span>But there is still an attitude of “almost anything goes,” an acceptance of behavior that only vaguely resembles normalcy, and the feeling that you are in a little cocoon of fun and frivolity where most of the rules are suspended.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And it is that atmosphere that gets writers into trouble.<span style=""> </span>If we, as the attending pro writers (and artists, and editors, and game designers, and so on), buy into the permissiveness and acceptance, if we suspend our rules of behavior, if we party a little too much, we are hurting ourselves and our reputations.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, even though it <b style="">feels</b> like anything is acceptable, it isn’t.<span style=""> </span>If you’re a writer, you’re at work, not at play.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Sure, you can have a drink at a party, or a beer in hospitality.<span style=""> </span>But if you get falling-down drunk, people will remember.<span style=""> </span>There is someone who will forever be remembered as having been found passed out in their own vomit in a public restroom.<span style=""> </span>Not the way you want to be remembered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">You can hook-up with someone.<span style=""> </span>One-night stands are a fact of convention life, many of them fueled by the above-mentioned potables.<span style=""> </span>But be discreet.<span style=""> </span>There is someone else who will always be remembered as blatantly hooking up with star-struck fans, while their spouse fumed; and another someone who told horror stories of the stalker-style behavior of a one-night stand.<span style=""> </span>And there are always the gropers who, encouraged by the alcohol and atmosphere, think they have a right to grab anyone and anything that gets close.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And the costumes!<span style=""> </span>Nothing says “don’t take me seriously” more than an over-exposed cleavage, fur jockstrap, or Darth Vader helmet.<span style=""> </span>They have their place, and are certainly appropriate if you’re a professional costumer/armorer/FX wizard (there was one of those at Radcon, a truly amazing talent, and on him it looks <b style="">real</b> good), but for a writer, not so much.<span style=""> </span>You don’t have to wear a suit and tie, or carry a briefcase – in fact, you’ll stand out if you do – but generally speaking you have to dress appropriately.<span style=""> </span>There are writers and editors who have an image – loud ties, or Hawaiian shirts – but it’s a look, not a costume.<span style=""> </span>Trust me, you better know the difference, and you better be able to dial it back if it isn’t working for you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Conventions are a tiny, tiny community.<span style=""> </span>While you are in the hotel, it’s like being in a very small town, with nosy, gossipy neighbors.<span style=""> </span>People you meet may be long-time friends with other people, and you may not know it.<span style=""> </span>Watch who you bad-mouth!<span style=""> </span>Many years ago, I had one convention committee member sit down and kevetch about two other committee members – both of whom were dear friends of mine.<span style=""> </span>The kevetch-er didn’t know what my relationship was with the kevetch-ees, and I will always remember them as the person who was so nasty about my friends.<span style=""> </span>We are cordial, and I never brought it up, but we will never be good friends, and they will never know why.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And just like a small town, someone is always watching you.<span style=""> </span>What you might think is a private misstep, an unobserved mistake, will be seen.<span style=""> </span>Unless you’re by yourself, behind a closed and locked door, with no one else in the room, always assume you are being watched.<span style=""> </span>Not because you have a stalker (thought that’s possible, refer back to one-night stands), but simply because this is a place where we all know each other, and we’re in a very small space 24/7.<span style=""> </span><b style="">Someone</b> will see you.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’m sure I’m forgetting something, and that you’ll remind me of it.<span style=""> </span>But consider this the beginning of an on-going discussion of conventions, conferences, workshops, seminars, and all the other Baskin-Robbins array of gatherings that are out there.<span style=""> </span>Knowing when you’re ordering Tutti Fruiti might just save you some heartaches and embarrassment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And to my friend who started this train of thought:<span style=""> </span>Don’t give up.<span style=""> </span>One silly mistake does not tank your career.<span style=""> </span>You’ll get over it, as long as you learn from it and move on. <span style=""> </span>And you’re too damned brilliant to give up now.</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1166569506076068992006-12-19T14:42:00.000-08:002007-01-22T19:42:12.473-08:00The Grandma ConnectionA couple days ago, my sister called (the fabulous Jeri G., who has her very own day [see previous posts]), looking for a specific cookie recipe.<br /><br />Now, I haven't done a lot of baking in recent years. I shouldn't be eating a lot of sweets - should anyone? - and I hadn't dug through my old recipe box in ages. But I knew where the box was, and I quickly found the recipe she was asking for.<br /><br />In the process, I ended up thumbing through stacks of yellowing 3X5 cards, some written in my much-younger scrawl, some in my sister's precise backhand, others typed in an effort to appear more organized than I really am. There were cards from old friends, random acquaintances, even one from a former sister-in-law. (She went away, but I kept the caramel corn recipe!)<br /><br />And some of those cards were printed at the top with "A Recipe from the Files of Alice Nouguier." Those gave me pause. Alice was my grandmother, who passed away in August. I had my issues with her, as many of us do with our families, but she was my grandma, and those cards reminded me of some of the <strong>good </strong>things we shared over the years - her favorite recipes among them.<br /><br />Grandma was 95 when she died, the youngest of four children. Two of her siblings died in the couple years before her, so an entire generation of our family has disappeared in a short while. Suddenly, my mom is the oldest in her generation, as I am in the generation that follows. Now <strong>we </strong>are the grandmas.<br /><br />Those yellowing recipe cards are a connection to a generation that exists only in the memories of those who loved them, and I felt an overwhelming urge to dust off the cookie pans, break out the measuring cups, and remember - even for a little while - the connection we all have as daughters, mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers.<br /><br />As a result, today the people in my office are sharing Orange Caramel Cookies, and Gumdrop Bars, and I have plans to commit Uncooked Fondant this evening. I will pack up a box of goodies to share with my family when we get together on Saturday, and I plan to enjoy the treats my daughter is bringing - she's got some of those cards of her own. The connection continues, each generation carrying forward something from the generation before them. <br /><br />I hope to leave my children and grandchildren some yellowing 3X5 cards to remember me by. It's one of the little things that makes us family.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1166301961340635742006-12-16T12:35:00.000-08:002006-12-29T09:51:21.400-08:00Winter Comes to a Small TownI am sitting in my office, enjoying the return of heat, lights, and the Internet. I have been without all three for a couple days, and I am very grateful to have them back!<br /><br />For the record: our small coastal town was completely without power for 30+ hours, as a result of severe storms. Winds hit 91 mph on Thursday, and the outer edges lost power as early as 1-2 that afternoon. The entire city was dark by 6 pm. Our power here (a couple blocks from City Hall) returned sometime between 1 and 2 am on Saturday, but I don't know about those further out. <br /><br />I have heard it was a transmission line - one of those giant ones that marches across mountains through a clear cut - that went down, but without Internet, radio, TV or newspapers, it's kind of hard to know what really happened. Yep, the newspaper delivery trucks couldn't get here, and the cable was out so no TV, even if you had battery or generator power to watch with. Radio is spotty to begin with, and all we could get were local stations, who were in pretty much the same boat we were! Cell phones did work, and we were able to reassure family that we were safe and sound.<br /><br />The hospital has an emergency generator, as does the casino, and some other places, including the hotel where I work. But we can't power the hotel and restaurant on the generator, just emergency lights and the like. Our desk clerks and reservationists were busy calling people with reservations and advising them to cancel. <br /><br />This is going to have a severe financial impact on the city. The outlet mall, usually buzzing with Christmas shoppers, has been dark for 2+ days. The grocery stores and restaurants have lost all refrigerated products. At work, we tried to get a refrigerated truck to hold our inventory until the power was restored, but they couldn't get here. The highways were closed from every direction. At various times over the last 2 days they had stretches open, sometimes just one lane. But fallen trees were a huge problem on all the highways.<br /><br />There was power in another town, 30 miles south, and we drove down yesterday to have a hot meal, buy a new camp stove, and generally get warm. Fortunately, Herbie had a full tank of fuel, so we weren't as bad off as some. I heard two people talking in Fred Meyer, and one was saying they had driven about 50 miles with the gas light on. Can't buy gas when the station doesn't<br />have power to operate the pumps.<br /><br />We spent two nights snuggled under blankets on the loveseat, with kitties for additional warmth, reading by candlelight and battery lanterns. Thanks to the wonders of natural gas, I did manage a hot shower - in the dark! Couldn't make coffee, since my coffee grinder is electric, but we made tea with water boiled on the new camp stove about 10 last night. (Set it up on the picnic table in the yard, which meant going out into the cold a couple times, but it was worth it.) Figured we could heat soup or chili or whatever today, but we have power! I am really enjoying the hum of the furnace fan, sending warm air through the house, and the fact that the light switches are working again.<br /><br />This wasn't as long, as cold, or as bad, as it could have been. We were somewhat prepared - full fuel tank, lots of lights and batteries to power them, adequate supplies of canned goods and a hand-cranked can opener (electric openers are no good when the power's out), extra socks, bottled water, gas water heater. I even boiled water and filled the good old stainless steel thermos, when we anticipated losing power. But that only stays really hot for about 12 hours, and a quart of hot water isn't much. We found out the things we needed, and I hope we've filled in the missing items. And next time I'll make sure to grind some coffee when I think the power's going. *G*<br /><br />Winter isn't over yet. Not by a long shot!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1154660248569448092006-08-03T18:18:00.000-07:002007-01-07T17:21:12.566-08:00Reputation Strikes AgainA while back, I talked about how a reputation is the most important thing a writer can have. Today I can give you a concrete example; concrete meaning "money in the bank."<br /><br />About a week ago, an editor I'd worked with in the past, posted an invitation to "pinch hit" for an anthology that had come in a little short. She needed stories, on a particular theme, and she needed them in a few days. This Tuesday, the check for my story arrived in the mail, and Steve's check arrived the next day.<br /><br />What does reputation have to do with this? Well, when I wrote back saying I would like to send a story, I was welcomed. And when I produced and submitted the story in the short time limit, I reinforced her trust that I could produce acceptable work in a short time. Will we get a call next time there's an open spot? I'd say the chances are good.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1150684575912779652006-06-18T01:22:00.000-07:002006-09-04T20:22:57.683-07:00I Wish I Was in Atlanta -- But There Will be RecordingsA few weeks back, I mentioned writing in my hotel room in Reno, while at the RWA National Conference. There wasn't any choice, since I had registered for the conference and paid for a hotel room months in advance, and I truly wanted to go. But I also had a deadline, so I kept running back to my room to steal a few more minutes with Sydney, and Jack, and Vaughn, and all the rest of the team.<br /><br />The RWA National Conference was held in Atlanta this year, at the end of July, and I wish I was there. I have been to three Nationals: Washington DC, Denver, and Reno, over the past few years. Each time, I have come away energized, excited, and eager to write. This conference offers fantastic educational and networking opportunities for writers at all stages of their careers. It is one of the absolute best places to learn about the business of writing - even if romance isn't your primary genre.<br /><br />But there are lots of conferences around the country, and sometimes it is difficult to know which one(s) to attend. One of these days I may take a crack at ranting about the good, the bad, and the ugly of writers conferences. But for now, I just want to say that RWA is one of the best.<br /><br />Of course, the conference itself is a huge financial committment. The registration is somewhere around $350, hotel room are upwards of $120 per night, and there are meals and tips and travel expenses on top of that. But the incredible energy, information, and friendships that come out of it are worth every penny!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1148778143965180952006-05-27T16:08:00.000-07:002006-08-03T15:12:34.200-07:00Reputation is All We HaveElisabeth asked about how my Alias books came to be. It's a long story, and not one I even know all the answers to. But the one-word explanation is simple: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Reputation.</span></span><br /><br />That sounds so simple, yet it covers so many tiny details of a writer's life. It isn't just your writing ability, though that has to be good, but how you manage the business of writing. Can you meet a deadline? Do you know the subject? Can you produce an outline, and then stick to it (within reason)? Can you take editorial suggestion? Are you willing to rewrite/edit to editor or licensor requirements?<br /><br />All these things, and more, go into a writer's reputation. And it is that reputation that makes someone offer you a job.<br /><br />For me, that offer came in the form of an email invitation to pitch ideas for Alias novels. I don't know how I happened to be on that invitation list; someone asked someone else for suggestions, and my name came up. I have a few guesses - editors I had worked with in the past - but I don't know specifically. However it happened, the invitation was extended, with a warning that the books would need to be done quickly.<br /><br />Now, here's my shameful secret. Up to that point, I had not watched the show. Not because I wasn't interested, but because I ration the number of shows to which I can be addicted at any one time, and my list was pretty full. But I had heard very good things from people whose opinions I trusted, and it sounded like fun. I wrote back immediately, saying I was interested, and ran to the video store. For a solid week, I watched every episode I could get my hands on, read online episode summaries, read the two outlines the editor provided for books already under contract, and basically immeresed myself in the show.<br /><br />At the end of that week, I knew I <span style="font-style: italic;">had<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span> to write for Alias - the character, her family and friends, had me hooked. I had some ideas, some things I thought would be fun and interesting to do with the characters, and I bounced them off the editor. He liked one idea, and I set to work writing an outline. Within a very few days, he had a complete outline on his desk.<br /><br />So, there's the first parts. I produced an outline, showing that I knew the property, and I did it in a short time frame, showing I could work under deadline. I also committed to write the book in a few weeks, if the outline was approved.<br /><br />This is where the courtship rituals of tie-in fiction come in. Your outline must be approved by the editor, and then by whomever owns the property - in this case, ABC. For my Star Trek work, it was Paramount; for Mage Knight, it was Wiz Kids. Steve has been through this ritual with Wiz Kids, Marvel, Conan Properties, Paramount - the list is long and varied.<br /><br />Anyway, there were changes from ABC. I rewrote the outline, it went back through channels, and eventually I had an approved outline for Strategic Reserve -- and 10 weeks to write the complete novel, while working a full-time job, and with the RWA National Conference (a story for a different time) in the middle, along with a long-planned family reunion. I spent nights and weekends in my office, and I wrote while traveling, and I turned the manuscript in on time.<br /><br />When the inevitable edits came down through channels, I did the rewrite and sent it back. On time, and without being difficult. The result is on bookstore shelves now, and I am proud of what I accomplished.<br /><br />The second book didn't go quite as smoothly, at first. ABC didn't like the outline the editor passed on, but they liked a minor sub-plot. It took a while, but I managed to take that sub-plot and make it a novel, which will be out in December. once again, I ended up doing the writing in a couple months, still with a day job and the usual distractions. But I did it on time, on target, and I tried very hard to be easy to work with.<br /><br />Now, with ALIAS off the air, there are no plans for additional books in that series. But I have my reputation, and some time in the future, when an editor is looking for a writer for a project, my name may come up again. And when it does, the editors I have worked with, will have good things to say.<br /><br />In the end, that reputation is the most important thing we, as writers, have.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1148351647431816882006-05-22T19:15:00.000-07:002006-05-23T18:20:56.323-07:00Free Books!Well, not so much. Today I will burst another bubble, I hope. But there's a good surprise at the end of this, I promise.<br /><br />See, everybody thinks writers have huge stores of their books, which they are happy to pass out to everyone they meet. Sometimes, they are offended that you don't give them a free book.<br /><br />What part of "I write for a living" do these people not understand?<br /><br />You see, the publisher pays me for a story, I deliver it, they publish it, and expect to <span style="font-weight: bold;">sell</span> books, thereby recovering the money they paid me, paying their expenses, and maybe making a profit. This shouldn't be an obscure concept - it's the same one the grocery store and gas station operate under.<br /><br />So why would I expect someone to buy a book if I gave it away for free? Frankly, I wouldn't. But I receive a very limited number of copies, and if I gave one to everyone who wanted one, I wouldn't have any left for myself. So I limit my give-aways. My parents always get an autographed copy, and my in-laws (who are some of my biggest fans, and how cool is that?).<br /><br />Still, I am more generous than many writers. I keep a "loaner" copy at work, so friends can borrow it and read it. I donate copies to fund raisers. I love being able to put a book in someone's hands, and know that they will read it. Unfortunately, I still need to convince my publishers that I'm a good investment, and that people will buy my books, so I can't give them away. And they don't give me that many, anyway.<br /><br />So, try to understand when your favorite writer expects you to buy his or her book. It's how they pay their bills, and support themselves while they write the next book.<br /><br />But, just this once, I am going to give away a book. I have a copy of STRATEGIC RESERVE on my shelf that will go to the best comment posted in the next week or so. No strings, nothing to buy, no coupons to redeem, or forms to fill out. Just post a comment, if you want a shot at a free book. At the end of the month, I'll pick my favorite - yeah, it's completely subjective, but we writers have to get a few perks! - and mail you an autographed book.<br /><br />C'mon, what have you got to lose?Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1146534471004226462006-05-01T18:17:00.000-07:002006-05-13T22:08:53.880-07:00The Waiting Game; or, I Make Stuff UpWell, the Alias manuscript went off to the editor, and the YA I was revising went off to my agent. Now I get to play The Waiting Game.<br /><br />Let me admit, right up front, that I should simply be writing something else, and not even thinking about this stuff. And that is pretty much what I <span style="font-weight: bold;">am</span> doing. But The Waiting Game is a part of the dirty underbelly of writing, and something we all have to learn to live with.<br /><br />When a new writer finishes a story, or a novel, or a poem, or whatever, you send it out into the world. You mail your story to an editor or agent. You <span style="font-weight: bold;">know</span> that it's going into the slush pile, and it may be months before you hear anything back. But this happens even when you <span style="font-weight: bold;">aren't</span> a new writer.<br /><br />The book I just turned in (see cover below) will be my sixth published novel. Now, that might sound impressive - unless you want to compare it to some of the writers I know, who have 50 or 60 or 80 books to their credit. But comparing careers is apples and oranges (a rant for another time), and I try not to do it.<br /><br />I suspect most people think once you have an editor, or an agent, that you don't have to wait. Want to know a deep, dark secret? It ain't so! Oh, maybe if your name is Stephen King, or John Grisham. Writers at that level are earning a lot of money for their agents and publishers, and thereby earning fast responses. Writers at my level, well, not so much.<br /><br />But here's the problem. As a writer, it's my job to make shit up. And when I'm playing The Waiting Game, the temptation sneaks in to make up some shit that explains why I am waiting. Being - like so many writers - terminally insecure, I seem to make up some pretty awful shit.<br /><br />Like, the editor hates the book, no matter how enthusiastic she was about the proposal. She has decided the book is hopeless, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm</span> hopeless, and she is looking for someone to fix the horrible mess that landed on her desk.<br /><br />Like, my agent hates me. She has read my revisions, and thinks I destroyed the promising start she saw in the first draft. She had no hope of selling the steaming pile that this manuscript has become, and she despairs of what to say about it.<br /><br />Now, because I have been doing this for a few years, I recognize that this is ridiculous. The truth is probably a lot closer to something like: The editor has five other books to put into production this week, six more slots that must be assigned before the first of the month, three rewrites to read. Four licensors have finally released approvals on pending projects, and she has to get them into contracts, her assistant just quit to move to North Dakota, the mail room lost two contracts, and yesterday's lunch sat too long in the delivery cart, and she is now sicker than a dog. (And really, how sick <span style="font-weight: bold;">is<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>a dog? What does that actually mean?)<br /><br />The agent is training a new assistant (her previous one is in North Dakota, waiting for the editor's assistant to join him), her biggest client just got a six-book deal with staggered delivery dates, twenty-four payment dates, and a publicity tour, all of which have to be negotiated before the contract can be signed, another client is months late, and she is doing damage control with the publisher, she agreed to read submissions from eight potential clients, including two who have offers on the table, and her boss is on maternity leave.<br /><br />See? I just made up <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> that shit. I have no idea whether any of it is true. But I do know that any one of those items is much more likely than the first bunch. My editor does not hate me. My agent has not given up hope that I will ever write anything salable. (Given that I have six published novels, that one is just plain silly. Doesn't mean it won't cross my mind!) No disasters are looming.<br /><br />But, because I am a trained professional maker-up-of-shit, this is what I do, when I am playing The Waiting Game.<br /><br />Now it's time for me to stop griping, and go do some productive making-shit-up. That is, time to get back to writing!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1145516021745543432006-04-19T23:14:00.000-07:002006-04-19T23:53:41.756-07:00Tie-In Novels and the Real World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/1600/strategic-reserve.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/320/strategic-reserve.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here's the cover of the Alias novel that was just releasted. I was really happy with it, and delighted to see it in the stores this month. Then, just a couple days ago, I found <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">this!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/1600/alias-touch-of-death.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/320/alias-touch-of-death.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Now, is that cool, or what? I mean, a cover with the gorgeous Jennifer Garner <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> the gorgeous Carl Lumbly? Something for everyone! Well, okay, the first one had JG and Michael Vartan, which definitely doesn't suck, either.<br /><br />All in all, I can say that I am very pleased with my covers. It's really cool to be able to check Amazon, and see your very own name on a book cover. My name is smaller than J.J. Abrams, and his is the one they're using to shelve it in Borders. But you know what? That's just fine with me. Mr. Abrams (whom I have never met, but I can always hope, can't I?) created a kick-ass series, and a really kick-ass heroine, and he let me play in his sandbox. Besides that, his name, and the Alias series name, are what will sell the book, not mine. So, I don't have a problem with it, if it means people can find the book, and buy it, and read it.<br /><br />The thing about writing tie-in fiction is, it's really somebody else's world. You get to go visit, and they let you play, and they even pay you for it. But when it comes right down to it, it doesn't belong to you.<br /><br />Another thing about writing tie-ins. It takes a <span style="font-weight: bold;">lot</span> of research. You have to get it all right. I spent the last couple months with Paul Ruditis's book ALIAS: APO, THE OFFICIAL TOP SECRET FILES, on top of my desk. I looked at it, a lot. Thanks, Paul. I would have been lost without you.<br /><br />But it's not just the stuff from the show. It's all the rest of the world, too. Alias was particularly challenging, because of the diverse and exotic locations.<br /><br />In STRATEGIC RESERVE, a good portion of the book was set above the Arctic Circle, along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. I have never been about the Arctic Circle, but I know if I messed anything up, I will hear about it from a reader or three. So I spent a lot of time looking at photos on line, studying maps, and reading accounts of people who have been there. I feel like I know nearly as much about Deadhorse, Alaska, as anyone who has been there. I can describe the housing for the drilling crews, and the local wildlife. <br /><br />A TOUCH OF DEATH was the same way. I found out quite a bit about Vladivostok, and the region of Siberia just north of the Korean border. I learned about train schedules, and lodging (which is pretty primitive by the standards of Yankee tourists), and a million other details. I spent hours with Google Earth (a research gold mine), studying Tokyo Bay. I looked at dozens of pictures of the Floating City in Aberdeen Harbor, Hong Kong.<br /><br />Did I get it all right? Probably not. There are things that you simply can't know without being on the ground in a specific location. For that, a writer falls back on his basic skill: he makes it up. And he hopes like hell that nobody notices.<br /><br />On the other hand, DREAM HOUSE, (scroll down and admire that cover, too!) is set in Eugene, Oregon. I lived in Eugene for many years, and I tried very hard to capture the essence of that city. I used real locations, restaurants and office buildings, right down to the names of the streets, and local nicknames for neighborhoods. <br /><br />So, yeah, writers tell lies for a living. But we try to layer in enough truth that you believe everything we tell you. That's when the magic happens, and you get lost in the story.<br /><br />That's what a writer lives for.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1145327010511698972006-04-17T19:15:00.000-07:002006-04-17T19:23:30.523-07:00Finished! --- For NowOkay, today I get to crow, at least a little. On Saturday I finished the latest book, ALIAS APO: A TOUCH OF DEATH. Catchy title, that! And on Sunday I checked it over and emailed it to my editor, who got it this morning, and says she's looking forward to reading it.<br /><br />Then, this afternoon, I was noodling around Amazon on my lunch break, and I found the cover, and a release date (December 26). It will be my second Alias book releaseed in 2006, which pleases me.<br /><br />I'm glad to have this done, on deadline, though I will miss playing with Sydney and her friends. And I am glad to have a day without a deadline. But very quickly I'll be anxious to get another book under contract.<br /><br />There are a lot of things I'd like to talk about, and I will, just as soon as I catch up on a little sleep, and go see my husband!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1141969212274753592006-03-09T21:18:00.000-08:002006-03-09T21:40:12.290-08:00Writing, A Drive-By Signing, and Minor CelebrityWell, I am still waiting for a contract, but since I'm nearing the halfway mark, I think this is pretty official.<br /><br />I am writing another Alias book! This one is titled A Touch of Death, and is about a potential pandemic - think avian flu - and isolation, physical and emotional. With the cancellation of the series after this spring's windup, I don't know if there will be any more opportunities, but at least I get to do this one. I am excited about the ideas I'm working with, and writing like mad. (So why am I taking time to post here? Uh, let me think about that ...) The book is due by April 15th, but I am hoping to have a draft by the end of the month.<br /><br />The first book, Strategic Reserve, just hit the stands. I still need to send out copies to my folks, and my in-laws (Hi, Mott & Jim - I promise to send it soon!), and a copy for a guy my husband knows, who did us a big favor (which I'll get back to in a minute). I didn't know exactly when the book would be in the stores, but I now have a pretty good idea.<br /><br />See, a couple days ago, I went to the grocery store. Would love to say there were tons o' copies in the Safeway, but there weren't. However, our local indie bookstore (this town is too small for a chain store) is right next door to the grocery. We walked past the book store, and the guy who works there waved at us to come in. When I stepped through the door, he shoved a stack of copies in my hands for me to sign. It was so cool to have someone actually flag me down to sign books - made me feel like a Minor Celebrity. I know I'm not much of a celebrity, but there are some people who make you feel that way.<br /><br />Steve, and his friend Jeff, are two of those people. When I landed the first Alias book, Steve went looking for a sign that said "Authorized Personnel Only," like the one in the subway on the show. He looked for weeks, and couldn't find anywhere to buy one. This is where Jeff comes in. He has access to a printer that will put images on foamboard. I don't know how it works, but the results are really cool. Steve got to talking to him, and he said he could make a sign. Well, he went all out. It is streaked, just like the one in the series, and there are screws in the corners of the picture. He did it as a favor, and sent it to Steve, who surprised me with it. It's hanging in a place of honor in my office now, reminding me that I can be a Minor Celebrity.<br /><br />Writing isn't necessarily about being a celebrity. Stephen King, Nora Roberts, J.K. Rowling, John Grisham - they didn't get into this field to be famous. They did it because it is work for which they have a deep passion. <br /><br />Writers write because we want to tell stories, and have people read them. I hope readers will pick up my books, and enjoy spending time with the people in their pages. The rest doesn't matter.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1141962425303252392006-03-09T18:28:00.000-08:002006-03-09T19:47:05.336-08:00Life Goes On<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/1600/Oz-in-space.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/709/1006/320/Oz-in-space.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />A couple days ago, a friend of mine said he feels like he is keeping up with my husband and me by reading our blogs. Even when we don't post very often. So now I feel kind of guilty about how long it's been since I was here.<br /><br />The last month has been a bit turbulent, though I am beginning to think that's just my life, and I'm kidding myself if I think it is ever going to settle down.<br /><br />After Banzai died, there was some major adjustment, and we are still getting used to the fact he's gone. Our other cat, the mighty Oz, has become a total attention sponge. He missed his playmate, and we really aren't the best substitutes, but we're all he's got. We are thinking about getting him a kitten to train in his evil, cat ways - like climbing into the rafters and playing with Steve's space collectibles - but we aren't doing anything about that quite yet.<br /><br />A couple weeks back, we did go to a convention in Pasco, Washington. Radcon is a smallish con, that has been slowly growing out there in the Central Washington desert. They are trying to develop a program track for writing, and their efforts are starting to pay off. We had a wonderful time, got to catch up with a lot of old friends, and meet some new ones. This is one we want to go back to next year. Something we don't always say!<br /><br />Going over, we stayed the night at the Columbia Gorge Hotel, in Hood River, Oregon. It's an historic hotel, famous for their five-course breakfast. I can now attest that breakfast takes <span style="font-weight: bold;">at least<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> ninety minutes, and is worth every second. The scenery is gorgeous, and we took pictures of the half-frozen waterfall outside the dining room after we ate.<br /><br />I did have to spend a few hours each day tucked away in my hotel room, with my laptop, trying not to fall behind on my writing. More about that on the next rock.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1139387801006739322006-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:002006-02-08T00:36:41.020-08:00A Piece of my Heart ...... is missing. It's about the size and shape of a small, furry object with four legs. And it isn't coming back.<br /> Back before Christmas, our little cat, Banzai, got sick. The vet said a liver problem, and gave us drugs and special food, and lots of advice. Over the weeks, we made frequent trips back to the vet's office, and each time we came home with a few new tricks to try. <br /> He was a young cat; he just appeared on our doorstep about three years ago, a tiny kitten in a nasty storm, and informed us that he lived here now.<br /> Banzai was "the belly that walks like a cat." Except when he got sick. Then he simply stopped eating. Anything. About a year ago, we went through this, and somehow managed to coax him back into eating, but only after he lost more than 50% of his body weight. I don't know many animals, or people, who can recover from that, but he did, and he regained all the weight.<br /> This time, we couldn't coax. Even shrimp, the only food for which he would forget the rules and climb on the kitchen counter, didn't tempt him. We tried every kind of food you could imagine, in myriad combinations. Nothing worked.<br /> Cooperation is not a cat trait. When he refused to eat, we tried hand-feeding him. Not a chance. We finally got kitten nursing bottles, thinned down high-calorie supplements with soy milk, and fed him like a baby. Every day, for the last six weeks or so.<br /> But in the end, it wasn't enough. In the early morning hours on Sunday, he suddenly started crying, the way a kitten cries for its mother. My husband and I ran in, and found him in his bed, still crying. We petted him, tried to comfort him, and he laid down. He never got up again.<br /> My husband, all 6-foot-6 of him, laid on the floor, petting Banzai and talking softly to him, until he was gone. It was the bravest thing I could imagine, laying there with the little guy, knowing what will happen, and not turning away, no matter how heart-breaking it was.<br /> Banzai dropped into a coma, then slowly slipped away. It was quiet, and peaceful, and I hope we made it as easy as we could. <br /> But he took part of us with him. <br /> That little piece of my heart.<br /><br /> You can measure friends a lot of ways. One sure way is by how they react when you are in need. When we needed advice that night, we called our friends Dean and Kris, who have a lot more experience with cats than we do. Even though it was 2:30 in the morning, they talked with us, and asked us to call back and check in.<br /> About thirty minutes later, when Banzai slipped away, we called back. The first words out of Dean's mouth were "I'll be right there." And they were. <br /> They helped us wrap him up, and find a spot for him in the yard, providing help and sympathy when we sorely needed both. There are damned few people who you can count on like that, and as tough as this was, it would have been infinitely worse without their help and friendship to get us through.<br /> <br /> I am more grateful than I can hope to express, and I realize how lucky we are to have friends like that.<br /><br /> He was a good cat, and I miss him.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080221.post-1138249211885691552006-01-25T20:16:00.000-08:002006-01-25T20:20:11.903-08:00Here we go again!Just like last summer ---<br /><br />Just got approval for another book, which means it's time for BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard) for a few weeks.<br /><br />I'd say I'll be a little scarce around here, but that wouldn't be any different than any other month, now would it?<br /><br />In any case, I will try to check in now and again, and post a progress report.<br /><br />TTFN!Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02637010194234948441noreply@blogger.com0