Writing and Snacks

(This post lazily ported over from my Live Journal, where the hilarity generally happens.)

No, really, I’m okay about not being at Wiscon. Seriously. I was thinking about talking Last Son of Krypton last year over breakfast in the Governer’s Club with Christopher and Doselle and Ted and totally didn’t get moony over it. Hallway conversations with hilarious friends? Who needs ‘em? ::sniffle:: Darn these allergies.

Not that these “allergies” have completely stopped me from having a good weekend. Mysterious Galaxy were nice enough to invite me to do a signing and were gracious hosts, particularly manager Patrick. I had the pleasure of sharing the table with Kirsten Imani Kasai, author of Ice Song, and we both read some short selections, answered questions from the audience, and signed for friends, family, customers I assume neither one of us knew, and stock. My cousin Ellen bought about a bajillion copies of Norse Code, and one of Lisa’s co-workers showed up, and Steven Klotz (MentatJack) came down by train from LA. (And, again, Steven, sorry I lost track of you as you were leaving; I should have at least offered you a ride to the station! Sorry!!!)

I feel lucky to have such a great bookstore in town. I already loved shopping there, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place for my first signing. And then Lisa and I had meat for dinner and ice cream. Meat! Ice cream!

Here’re a couple of pics. I cut off some people on the right, including store manager Patrick. Cameras should be better at knowing what I want to get a picture of. There should be a special Dumbass Prevention chip.

From Mysterious Galaxy Signing

And here I am, signing. Rather furiously, it looks like.

From Mysterious Galaxy Signing

And only tangentially related, Charles Tan sends me this picture of Norse Code in the Philippines. It’s under E, which is correct (sometimes) from a filing standpoint, but I prefer V, since van Eekhout is my last name, and the “van” part deserves as much love as the harder-to-spell part. Of course, I’ve heard of one bookstore where they didn’t know if I should be under E or V, so they put me under G. Outside-the-box thinking!

From Bookstore pics

I know everyone’s going to conventions and such, but a reminder for anyone in the San Diego area, that I’ll be signing at Mysterious Galaxy this weekend, along with Kirsten Imani Kasai, author of Ice Song.

Saturday, May 23, 2009 2:00 p.m.
Greg Van Eekhout signs Norse Code
Location: Mysterious Galaxy

Norse Code hits bookstores today. Has hit. The hitting has begun. Available through all the customary places where books are sold.

It’s my debut novel, and except for in some obscure and highly technical senses, I will never again have a debut novel. Instead, I will hopefully have “sophomore efforts” and “latest releases” and “oh, god, is that decrepit old fossil still writing?” kinds of things.

So, enjoy me now, while I’m still smooth.

Chapter 3 of Norse Code is up at Suvudu, thus making it easier for you to dress like a Norse god (or just a viking if you’re sky) and perform public readings in your local town square. Please send footage.

Chapter 1 at Tor.com: Norse Code, Chapter 1

Chapter 2 at Suvudu: Norse Code, Chapter 2

Sneak previews of Norse Code are now available online. Through an extraordinary effort of cooperation and goodness, Tor.com (not my publisher) and Suvudu (operated by Random House, my publisher) are posting sample chapters.

Chapter 1 is up now at Tor.com: Norse Code, Chapter 1

Chapter 2 is up now at Suvudu: Norse Code, Chapter 2

And chapter 3 will is posting on Suvudu this coming Friday.

Today I am a happy writer.

Writing and Snacks is my writing and publishing blog. For more of this (plus stuff about snacks and junk) please visit my personal blog: gregvaneekhout.livejournal.com

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I’ve got a new short story up at Tor.com: Last Son of Tomorrow

Here’s an excerpt:

Driving back to the city after his parents’ funeral, he began his career. There was a commuter train derailment, a bad one, with a fully occupied car dangling off the Utopia Street Bridge, sixty feet above the Tomorrow River. John got out of his car and left it behind on the clogged highway. Fully visible in bright daylight, he leaped into the sky, and moments later, he had the train car resting safely on the bridge. He freed passengers from twisted metal. He flew those who needed immediate emergency care to the hospital, and then he returned to the scene of the accident. He thought it might be necessary to file a report of some kind with the police. With dozens of cameras pointed at him, microphones and tape recorders shoved in his face, questions being barked at him as if he’d done something wrong, he felt like he might suffocate. He wished he could turn and walk back to his car and drive to his dorm, maybe go out for beers with his friends. But he knew he’d never be able to do that now. He’d chosen otherwise.

He coughed nervously. The questions stopped. Everyone was quiet. Everyone was waiting. “I’m John,” he said. “I’m here to help.”

And for the next sixty years, that was just what he did.

It was the least significant period of his life.

Publishers Weekly gives NORSE CODE its first review, and it’s pretty shiny:

“Short story author van Eekhout makes a successful leap to long fiction with this thrilling urban fantasy … The compelling prose and epic blend of mythological and modern elements make it clear that van Eekhout is an author to watch.”

Hi. This is my book and writing blog. For my personal blog, please visit gregvaneekhout.livejournal.com.

I’m happy to announce to that I’ll be signing Norse Code at Mysterious Galaxy Books, in a co-appearance with Kirsten Imani Kasai, author of Ice Song.

Full details below:

Who: Greg van Eekhout and Kirsten Imani Kasai

Where: Mysterious Galaxy Books
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
Tel: 858.268.4747
Fax: 858.268.4775
mgbooks@mystgalaxy.com

When: Saturday, May 23, 2009, 2:00 PM

What: I’ll be signing Norse Code, reading a selection, taking questions in a Q&A session, and drawing doodles. The doodles will mostly be for my own amusement, but if you want, I’ll be happy to draw one in your copy of the book.

Why: Just trying to meet readers and sell some books. It’s a cold, harsh world out there, y’know.

Hi. You’ve reached Writing and Snacks, my official website (me being Greg van Eekhout, author of the contemporary fantsy novel Norse Code and a bunch of short stories).

I mostly use this space to post news about my various writing projects. I also keep a more random personal blog at gregvaneekhout.livejournal.com.

Thanks for stopping by.

C.C. Finlay has this to say about NORSE CODE:

A renegade valkyrie and a runaway god team up to stop the apocalypse
in a book filled with battles and betrayals, love and hope.  If the
world ends tomorrow, you can’t do anything better than read Greg van
Eekhout’s NORSE CODE.  But don’t blame me if you end up joining the
resistance.

C.C. Finlay is a friend and has been a supporter of me and my writing for quite some time now, and I’m incredibly happy that he liked my book enough to say such shiny things about it. I’m a fan of Charlie’s writing too, and his upcoming Colonial War-era fantasy trilogy, Traitor to the Crown, is set to debut in April. But readers can get a jump start on reading it now by downloading a free PDF copy of the first volume in the series, The Patriot Witch, here. Or you could get it at Scribd.