Princesses of Myth

A-Kon 2013 in Dallas, Texas

Esther — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:18:43 +0000

I’m extremely happy to announce that once again (from May 31 through June 2) I will be attending A-Kon, a convention in Dallas, Texas.

A-Kon is as huge as it is wonderful. The main focus is anime, manga, and other aspects of Japanese culture. You would not believe the fantastic hall costumes! It’s chockablock with celebrities from the worlds of music, voice talent, writing, and lots more.

What a perfect place to showcase my latest Princesses of Myth book, Spirit’s Chosen!

You can find a link to A-Kon’s webpage as soon as I post the bare bones information in my News and Events sections.

I’ve always enjoyed A-Kon. The people running it are complete professionals. Do you know the saying about swans? They look seemingly effortless, graceful and serene as they glide across the surface of the water, but wow! are they ever paddling like crazy underneath! That’s the A-Kon con-runners for you, and they do it all with good humor under unimaginable pressure. (Well, I know for a fact that I could never be equal to doing what they do!) It’s a pleasure to interact with them, and their hard work translates into a great time for all A-Kon attendees, not just the pro guests.

This will be my last time attending A-Kon as a guest, for a while. I’ve enjoyed their hospitality for many years and, per a very sensible policy, it’s going to be someone else’s turn in 2014. I know they’ll enjoy it as much as I have!

If you’re in Dallas, come by the Dallas Anatole Hilton and say hello!

Princess Wars: We Won!

Esther — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:25:58 +0000

While browsing the internet I accidentally found out about an ongoing battle involving something dear to my heart: A kick-butt princess’ fate.

She’s not one of mine, but because I’m in the midst of writing about Maeve of Ireland, she’s definitely close kin. I’m talking about Princess Merida from Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE.

Here’s what happened: Disney/Pixar posted plans to give Merida a “makeover” before installing her as one of the Disney Princesses. You can see the original Merida as well as the “improved” version in this article:

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2013/05/16/entertainment/68d0e8ed-cbce-4fb1-986d-2606ee65c5d3.txt

(You can also run a search and find lots of other articles covering the story.)

This plan was a lot like trying to “improve” chocolate. The worst part was what these “improvements” were saying about the original Merida. Apparently it’s not enough for a girl to be independent, courageous, intelligent and skilled unless she’s also looking skinny, sexy, and a lot older.

Because we all know that young girls can’t do anything, right? (Sarcasm: If the barb fits, launch it.)

So there you have the battle. Now the good news form the field: We won. Scads of people agreed that the original Merida didn’t need that gratuitious “makeover” and that the “improved” Merida was a Really Bad Idea. At latest word, Disney has withdrawn the redesigned character.

Good.

Sometimes we win battles just by saying “No.”

Mothers’ Day

Esther — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:03:29 +0000

I hope everyone who reads here has had a happy Mothers’ Day, whether giving, receiving, or both.

Mine was great, with a breakfast I enjoyed (but not breakfast in bed. Too messy, and the cat gets into it.), flowers, gifts that were things I’d actually been wanting (and what a great feeling to get them, not just for the gifts themselves but because they proved my family’s been paying attention when I say, “Gee, I’d really like to have a new Kawongle 3000 some day. A blue one.”), and a deliciously raucous lunch (the restaurant put us in the back room. They could tell we were going to be Trouble).

(And we were!)

And then, when I thought I’d gotten everything. . .the cat gave me a dead mouse. Seriously.

All of which set off my imagination and now I’d like to know:

How do you think any of our Princesses would celebrate Mothers’ Day?

(Probably without a dead mouse.)

Happy (Belated) Book Day: SPIRIT’S CHOSEN

Esther — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:59:47 +0000

April 23 was the official publication date for SPIRIT’S CHOSEN, my latest Princesses of Myth book.

Also appearing on April 23, the paperback edition of SPIRIT’S PRINCESS.

How did I manage to miss posting this on April 23 itself? I must have overslept.

The important thing is, here they are, together at last, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading the conclusion of Himiko’s story.

And now to buy myself an alarm clock.

The Crafty Writer

Esther — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:42:17 +0000

As much as I love to write, I can’t do it all the time.

Setting aside the daily must-do list, like eating and sleeping and shopping and SHOPPING!!! (the difference being that “shopping” means getting things I need and SHOPPING!!! is more on the lines of mounting a treasure hunting expedition, only without snakes), there’s still moments when I find myself idle.

To quote one of my favorite heroines, Eloise, “Getting bored is not allowed.”

Oh sure, I could read–and I do, a lot–and I could do puzzles–ditto–and I could watch TV or browse the internet, but writing is a sedentary occupation and I often need to find something to do that is fundamentally different.

(A small voice in my ear has just pointed out that I have neglected to include exercise on my list of possible alternate activities. Very true, and my chief form of exercise is walking, which I enjoy. But right now I’m concentrating on things I can do during brief breaks from writing, without leaving the house.)

And that is why sometimes. . .I set my hand to handicrafts.

Right now I am up to my neck in working on the revisions for Deception’s Princess as well as writing the first draft of Deception’s Price. You’d think that this would be enough to keep me busy 24/7, or virtually so. Again, true, except I’ve found that if you don’t find a way to escape from a major task, that task becomes a chore and that chore becomes drudgery. All you can think about is “Will this ever be over and done with? I’ve been working on this forever! I can’t stand it any more. Let me out, let me out, let me outoutOUT!”

When you’re willing to do anything to finsih a task, you can do a slapdash job. When you do a slapdash job of writing, it shows, and it’s dreadful.

So I take a break, do something else, something different, and return to the big task refreshed and ready to go.

Right now I have two handicraft projects under way. One is a hat. I’m making it for a Kentucky Derby hat contest. It’s wonderfully awful! It is Too Much and then some. It is living proof that I should never be allowed to decorate a Christmas tree.

The other is a major prop for a costume that my husband will be wearing at a convention this summer. I’m going to have to make a skull out of Play-Doh (TM) for this one. Oh dear. And there are many other technical problems I’m going to have to work out for this prop, too. It’s a Challenge!

I love challenges.

Among which is being able to upload pictures of these projects, once they’re done. Stay tuned!

Boston 4/15/13

Esther — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:56:35 +0000

This post might have nothing to do with the Princesses of Myth.

On the other hand, it might. Goodness knows, my closing comment is something that all of my heroines would do, one way or another.

I’m sure that many–if not all–of you who read here know about what happened in Boston yesterday. This morning, while I was reading one of my usual online comic strips (I read a lot of them), the artist-writer posted his thoughts about the tragedy. He said one thing that stayed with me and I think it’s important enough to share with you.

It was not something that was original to him. It came from Mr. Rogers, and was not original to Mr. Rogers either. It was something Mr. Rogers’ mother once told him about how to deal with confronting tragedies like this one. I don’t have the exact quote on hand, so I’m going to paraphrase it:

“Look for the helpers.”

This is wonderful. This is true. No matter how dreadful the disaster, whether it’s an act of nature or the twisted work of “human” beings, there will always be people–lots of us!–rushing in to the aftermath, striving to make things better, to help, to heal, to bring hope.

And hope is a boot in the teeth of those who would rather see us in despair, terrorized, and helpless.

Help. Hope. Heal.

Kick hard.

Convention Appearance at A-Kon

Esther — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:43:52 +0000

May 31 through June 2, 2013 I’ll be at A-Kon in Dallas, Texas.

Here’s the convention website link:

I hope to see you there!

The Stuff You Live For

Esther — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:02:31 +0000

The following is a post I wrote for another newsgroup I frequent. I was very pleased with it, and even more so by the events that inspired it–so I’m going to share it with you here as well, through the magic of cut-and-paste. (All hail Cut-and-Paste!)

————————-

We writers can be a solitary lot. I’m not the sort who plonks myself down at the local coffee emporium with one cup of the stuff and proceeds to spend the whole day there, working on my laptop.
I write in my office by myself, without even the background companionship of music. I try to keep my internet ramblings to a minimum. I don’t succeed.
(“I really ought to check my e-mail because it’s been five whole minutes and something vital might’ve arrived, and now I need to look up some data in order to make sure I have got precisely the right word in this sentence and everyone knows there are no such things as waiting to do a rewrite later and simply getting on with the actual writing now, and here’s an interesting link from the webpage I need to one I don’t actually need but look, it’s all shiny!” And so on.)

But mostly, it’s just me and the story. Sure, in time there are reviews, good and bad and ax-to-grind ones, but there’s nothing really companionable about them.

And then, there’s something else. Something more. Something better that happens once in a while and makes me so happy that the solitary writer’s lot suddenly acquires extra Worth points (beyond the fact that I do this for my own joy).

Last evening was one such happy happening. I was part of the first Book Expo at the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT. There were about ten Connecticut writers present. We had a short, well-run panel discussion, some light refreshments (Nom!), but most of all, we had the chance to meet readers.

Getting to meet readers–even if they are not (yet!) those who read my books–is one of the best things in this writer’s life. Sure, sometimes you encounter a reader who has yet to master the nuances of polite conversation with an author (“Oh, you write that fantasy/sci-fi/romance Stuff? Well, I don’t read that Stuff!” [flounce]) but for the most part, such opportunities are a delight.

Last evening there were two separate incidents that sparkled. The first was meeting a young, extremely enthusiastic girl, one whose passion for reading was positively shining from her entire being. Are you familiar with the phenomenon of being so delightedly devoted to something you love doing that you absolutely bounce about it, even if you’re only bouncing inside? This girl LOVED books. Her mother said that when her daughter opened a book, that was that. Absent. Gone. Off and away.

And she liked my books. GLEE! (Yes, now I’m bouncing.)

The second meeting was with an older girl–a young woman, actually–who came to my table and said she really loved my Princesses of Myth books and had them all except the first one, but had left them home because she didn’t know I was going to be at this event.

Later in the evening, she returned to my table, books in hand. She had gone all the way home to bring them for autographing and she bought a copy of the one she was missing. Further GLEE! More writerly bouncing!

As I said, I lead a fairly solitary life as a writer, and as with many folks who work alone, such circumstances leave time for self-doubt. (“Why am I doing this? Is it worth it? Why amn’t I as successful as that writer? Will anyone remember my work after I’m gone?”)

Then something happens, as happened for me twice last evening, and all at once. . .light!

Light and warmth and a comforting fireside which, as everyone knows, is one of the best places to settle down and tell even more stories.

Norwich Free Academy Book Expo

Esther — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:55:17 +0000

Norwich Free Academy Book Expo

On Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 6:30 PM

At the Edwin H. Land Library of the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT

Come meet me and other Connecticut authors for book signings, a panel discussion, and lots more!

Light refreshments will be served.

Book News (Not Mine, But. . .)

Esther — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:55:08 +0000

The title of this book confirms what a lot of us have always suspected, namely:

HOW GEEK GIRLS WILL RULE THE WORLD

I include it here because I was one of the people Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon interviewed for it.

You read all about it here:

You’ll also be able to find it on Amazon.com RealSoonNow.