Jeri Smith-Ready

Smart Chicks Kick It Tour dates & places!

It's final! The Smart Chicks Kick It Tour has lined up dates for its fall sweep of North America. This is a tour entirely organized and sponsored by a group of authors who write young adult paranormal novels.

Many of them, as you can see from the list below, are famous. Many are New York Times bestsellers.

And then there's me. I'm not sure how I got to be on this tour, honestly. Possibly I was wearing glasses around one of them and they thought that meant I was smart, when really I just had dust on my contact lens.

To follow the continuing adventures of the Smart Chicks tour, become our fan on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

13th 7 PM @ BOOKPEOPLE, Austin, TX - Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Holly Black, Rachel Caine , & Cassandra Clare

14th 7 PM @ B&N THE WOODLANDS, Houston, TX - Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, & Rachel Vincent.

15th 7PM. Off-site location TBD. Hosted by BLUE WILLOW, Houston, TX - Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Cassandra Clare

16th 6 PM Off-site location TBD. Hosted by LEMURIA BOOKS, Jackson, MS - Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, & Sarah Rees Brennan

17th 7PM @ Scottsdale Civic Library Auditorium, hosted by POISONED PEN Phoenix, AZ - Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Kimberly Derting, and Becca Fitzpatrick.

18th Time & Off-site location TBD, Hosted by KEPLERS, San Francisco, CA - Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa de la Cruz, Becca Fitzpatrick, & Rachel Vincent

20th 6 PM @ VROMAN'S, Pasadena, CA - Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, Melissa de la Cruz, & Mary Pearson

21st 7 PM @ Encinitas County Library, hosted by MYSTERIOUS GALAXY, San Diego, CA w Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Mary Pearson, Rachel Caine, & Carrie Ryan

22nd 7 PM @ ANDERSON'S Chicago, IL - Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jackson Pearce, Jennifer Barnes, & Carrie Ryan

23rd 7 PM @ BOOKS & CO AT THE GREENE, Dayton, OH - Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jackson Pearce, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, & Kami Garcia

24th 7 PM @ JOSEPH BETH Cincinnati, OH - Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jessica Verday, Jeri Smith-Ready, & Margaret Stohl

25th 2 PM @ CHAPTERS BRAMPTON (Toronto) ON - Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Jeri Smith-Ready, Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Yes, I am still pinching myself. Yes, it still hurts, so I guess that means this is real.

Stay tuned for my BEA schedule, coming up at the end of May! That whimpering in the background is my dog telling me not to ever leave home again. Or maybe it's my husband.

Labels: appearances, YA series

• posted by Jeri @ 7:02 PM
• 3 comments

Tidbit Tuesday #3

Thanks to everyone who donated and/or spread the word about last week's book giveaway to benefit Doctors Without Borders. Because of your generosity, we raised $600 plus 10 pounds sterling! I'll be sending out books ASAP.

I have a couple news items this week. I'm psyched to report that Christopher Pike's second Last Vampire compendium, Thirst 2, hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for children's paperbacks! Being a selfish person, the reason I'm psyched is because the volume has a sample chapter of Shade at the end.

Of course, my immediate thought when I saw the list wasn't, "How wonderful! Loads of readers will be introduced to Aura and her friends."

My immediate thought was, "Oh no! People will be coming by the website, and it's a mess!" Actually, the site itself is lovely (thanks, honey!), but some of the information was out of date. So I spent Sunday making it "company ready" so as not to embarrass myself in front of the two or three new visitors. Not that my loyal readers aren't worth a clean website. But you know how you don't clean your house as well for your mom and your best friend as you do for first-time visitors? It's kinda like that.

For instance, the home page and news page no longer say that my next appearance is Windycon, November 13-15. That is SO last year! (Literally.) The news page now even has my complete panel schedule for the RT Booklovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio, April 28-May 2.

The other news item can be found subtly listed on the books page. Book Four of the WVMP Radio series (tentatively titled Lust for Life) is now firmly scheduled for August 2011. Since the sequel to Shade, titled Shift, will be out in May 2011, that means I'll have the exact same release schedule two years in a row. Makes it easy for me to remember.

Speaking of Lust for Life, I'm not sure if that's going to be the title. I might save it for Book Five (if there ever is a Book Five--that's up to my publisher, or more precisely, up to readers to buy Bring on the Night in sufficiently large quantities this August). But it doesn't really fit Book Four anymore, now that I'm figuring out what the story is all about.

A couple weeks ago I wrote that I was going to try this new work scheme where I write 3,000 words a day five days a week and then took weekends off. It went swimmingly for about ten days, then I realized that I'd reached the point where I didn't really know what was going to happen next, I was just coughing up words like so many hairballs. The story was careening out of control.

I also realized I had one too many antagonists. In the process of yanking out the antagonist who belongs in the final book and not this one, I extracted more than 8,000 words. Clearly I was not going to make my word count goal ("-8,138" looks really bad on the spreadsheet.)

So I decided to take a step back, do some scene-by scene outlining for the first quarter of the book, and now I'm writing one scene a day (or two, if they're short simple scenes). That way I don't bloat up the book with endless dialogue just to make my word count.

I'll use this method until it stops working, and then I'll try something else. I envy writers who are able to follow the same process every time. Heck, I can't even sit in the same place in my house more than a week or two at a time before I need a change of scenery.

That's all for this week. I'm still grumpy from the Ravens game, so we're lucky I've gotten through this entire post without profanity.

Labels: appearances, craft, vampire series, website, YA series

• posted by Jeri @ 9:14 PM
• 8 comments

Smart Chicks Kick It Tour

Last week I was thrilled to receive an invitation to join phenomenal authors Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, and Alyson Noel on part of their Smart Chicks Kick It Tour in September 2010. After I stopped cartwheeling, I said yes.

What makes Smart Chicks different from other multi-author tours? Well, for starters, it's run by the authors, not by a publisher or publicist (not that there's anything wrong with those--I'll take one, pretty please, any time *winsome smile*). That's why we can announce it now, before all the details are set in stone.

Not only that, but readers get a chance to have a say in what they want from a tour. Readings? Signings? Q&A? Photo ops? Swimming with authors dressed as dolphins? We're even taking suggestions on where we stop. So if you live in a small city that has yet to receive an author visit--or, say, a second Dairy Queen--come ask us to stop by!

All the information and discussion forums can be found at SmartChicksKickIt.com. You can read even more about it at Melissa Marr's blog.

As you can probably see from the current roster, all of us write young adult paranormal, though many also write an adult series or two.

Aaaaaand, speaking of which, my revisions to Shade are due on Monday, so I better get back to that! But I shall leave you with a cute pic of our new foster kitty, Twinkle, who got spayed yesterday, so no more mommy duty for her!

Labels: appearances, foster cats

• posted by Jeri @ 1:43 PM
• 6 comments

Book giveaway & upcoming signing

Sorry, not at the same time.

But today and tomorrow you can comment at the blog of phenomenal NY Times bestselling urban fantasy author Jocelynn Drake to win a signed copy of Bad to the Bone. Go forth!

Next Saturday I'll be at the Waldenbooks at the Lebanon Valley Mall in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Not just me, and not just signing (not that there's anything wrong with just me just signing): from 10-11am, I'll be on a discussion panel on How to Get Published with fellow authors Megan Hart, Mindy Klasky, Savannah Russe, and Maria V. Snyder.

Then from 11am to 4pm I'll be signing, along with the above four authors and many others who write for all ages in all genres (quick note: if you want to see Megan, come before noon).

Twenty percent of all the day's proceeds go to benefit the Lebanon Library. How cool is that?

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, Contests, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 2:25 PM
• 0 comments

ALA/RWA schedule

I'm leaving tomorrow for ten days, for two conferences. Even though I'm in total stress mode, I am incredibly excited about these events!

The first one is in Chicago, and I'll get to hang out with one of my favorite writer friends, the brilliant and way cool Stephanie Kuehnert, who has a new amazing book coming out in a couple of weeks (I read an ARC last month--yes, I am a lucky dog). You'll be hearing more about her next week (the book, not her personally, unless she has something she wants me to share).

Then Sunday I fly back to DC for three days of behind-the-scenes tours of the FBI, State Department, Postal Inspectors, and CIA, with my mystery/suspense chapter of RWA, Kiss of Death. Oh, and then the other conference, most of which I will probably sleep through after that long week of excitement.

I will try my best to blog at least once a week (I have a couple posts loaded up in the queue), but if you want updates from the conferences, you'd be better off checking my Twitter page.

ALA (American Library Association National conference) schedule:

Sunday, July 12, 8:30am-10am, YALSA's Young Adult Coffee Klatch

Sunday, July 12, 1-2pm, signing/book giveaway at Simon & Schuster Booth #3326.

Both events are open to conference attendees only.

RWA (Romance Writers of America National conference) schedule:

Wednesday, July 15, 5:30-7, Readers for Life Literacy Autographing (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC--ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY)

Friday, July 17, 9:45am-11:15am, Pocket Books Signing (OPEN TO CONFERENCE ATTENDEES ONLY).

Also Thursday from 7-8 I'll be at the FF&P Gathering, picking up a PRISM award (first, second, or, most likely, third place) for Wicked Game in the Light Paranormal category. Then I'll be hopping off to the Pocket Books party. And Friday night, of course, will find me slamming the dance floor at the Harlequin party. Other than that, I'll probably be catching up on sleep or work.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'll be in the bar.

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 8:50 AM
• 1 comments

Signing tomorrow, book clubs, and Shane's Cat & Muse interview

Quick reminder: I'll be at Constellation Books at 303 Main Street in Reisterstown, Maryland, tomorrow 3-5pm. There'll be a reading, signing, discussion, and most important--cookies.

Last night I went to a book club meeting in Central PA where they were discussing Wicked Game. I had a ton of fun (and pizza)--it was great hearing everyone's thoughts on the characters. Really motivated me to keep writing!

If you have a book club in the mid-Atlantic area (within a reasonable drive of my house) and would like me to visit your book club, let me know. I'm also available to talk to book clubs over the phone (within the U.S.) or Skype (anywhere in the world).

As an aside, on the way up I heard The Killers' "Read My Mind," which is one of the first songs on the Wicked Game playlist. It made me "homesick" for the beginning of that book, when Shane and Ciara had just met. Things were so simple then. I'm working on Book 3 now, which takes place three years after their story began in Wicked Game. They're still together (and always will be), but their world has grown a lot more complicated. Such is the nature of a series where characters change and grow and make bargains with paranormal paramilitary organizations.

Anyway, there's a fun interview of Shane from the WVMP books over at Jackie Kessler's Cat and Muse blog. Our boy managed to keep out of the clutches of that former(ish) succubus Jezebel. A testament to his devotion to Ciara, or maybe Jez just isn't his type. He'll never tell.

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Now playing: Kasabian - Reason Is Treason
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, blog tour, interview, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 10:27 AM
• 1 comments

Appearance at Petsage in Alexandria tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that I'll be at Petsage, the wonderful holistic pet supply store in Alexandria, Virginia, tomorrow from 11:30am to 1pm. We're starting with some refreshments and a social half hour, then I'll do a reading and Q&A about writing and dog rescue, and then the book signing.

Yes, a pet supply store, not a bookstore. I did an event there a few years ago, after the manager read my Aspect of Crow series and thought her friends and customers would enjoy the animal magic in those books.

Now, of course, there's Dexter the vampire dog in Bad to the Bone. Ciara herself is involved in dog rescue as a sponsor (people who pay for shelter dogs to move to private kennels to get them out of the shelter and make room for other pets; and who often teach the dogs manners to make them more adoptable).

I know this is late notice, but I hope you can make it!

Labels: animals, appearances, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 9:03 AM
• 0 comments

Balticon schedule

Once again I'll be hanging out in good ol' Hunt Valley, Maryland on Memorial Day weekend at one of the best regional sf/f conventions in the country (as described by those "in the know").

Balticon's Guests of Honor this year include:

Author: Charles Stross
Artist: Kurt Miller
Music/Filk: Mary Crowell
Special Guest: Scott Sigler
Ghost of Honor: Edgar Allen Poe
2008 Compton Crook Award Winner: Mark L. Van Name

Here's the complete Pocket Schedule (PDF version).

My personal whereabouts are as follows:

Friday, May 22:
4pm: I Shot the Sheriff on the First Page (Hooking the Reader) with Mark L. Van Name, Joshua Palmatier, Elaine Stiles, and Gail Z. Martin

Saturday, May 23:
4pm, Signing (main lobby)
8pm, Are the Editor and Copyeditor the Writer's Enemies? With Ally Peltier, David J. Williams, Joshua Palmatier, and David Sherman

Sunday, May 24
3-4pm, Reading (from Bad to the Bone, The Reawakened, and maybe even Shade)

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 10:24 PM
• 0 comments

Bad to the Bone events

I'm feeling strangely zen about the release of Bad to the Bone, maybe because I still don't know whether it officially comes out Saturday or next Tuesday. (Regardless, it's already shipping from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.)

Or maybe because I'm completely absorbed in writing the first in my YA series, more big news of which I'll have on Friday.

Or maybe I've matured to the point where I realize that I've done everything I can to write a good book, and the rest will just have to take care of itself. Shyeah, right.

A few tidbits on Bad to the Bone's release:

1. It was blurbed by the lovely Joyce Ann on Publishers Weekly's Beyond Her Book blog this morning.

2. I'll be signing copies of it for the first time at Borders in Winchester, VA, this Saturday, 2-4pm. All my other books should be on sale there as well.

3. I'm doing the Freaky Friday feature this week at Bitten By Books:

The apocalypse must be nigh, because not only are dogs and cats living together, they’re now interviewing each other! Dexter, the canine vampire hero from Jeri Smith-Ready’s Bad to the Bone will sit down (or maybe lie down if he gets tired) with his feline friend Antoine. They’ll discuss what it’s like to live with adventure-prone humans (the living and the undead), the best ways to beg for supper, and which end of a dead rodent to save for last.

As an added bonus Jeri is offering up a couple of great prizes! One Autographed set of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone plus a 2nd prize for another lucky reader. A $25.00 gift card to PetSmart or Petco (winner’s choice). Contest is open to readers worldwide!

4. My quarterly newsletter will be going out this week, and two subscribers will win signed copies of guess which book? Signup boxes are on every page of my website.

5. I'll have another Spread-the-Word contest beginning tomorrow and running until the end of the month. The helpful person who won the last contest got a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Not bad, eh? I could definitely use some help getting the word out about Bad to the Bone, because my next book is due June 1. Ack!

And with that, it's back to work.

Labels: appearances, reviews, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 3:35 PM
• 5 comments

Sunday's Flycon schedule

Flycon 2009 is still going strong, with one more full day (plus some) of programming. Here's the full schedule, complete with links to each panel "room."

***NOTE: Anyone can participate--you don't need a login or a LiveJournal username or a secret handshake. Just reply to a response to comment on it, or start a new thread with a new question.***

My schedule today (copied and updated from Thursday's post, all times Eastern US):

Sunday 7am: I WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID THAT AND YOU KNOW IT. Writers breaking the fourth wall to interview characters: Some writers find interviewing characters and having characters ‘talk’ in posts fun, helpful, and others find it awful. Some readers love it when writers do it on blogs, others look away and pretend it never happened. Discuss character building and breaking the fourth wall. With Stephanie Gildart.

Sunday 11am: Families in fantasy. Many heroes are unmarried orphans without siblings or children. Why this is so common and what do writers do when they do give their heroes families? With Julia Rios and Devon Monk.

Sunday 7pm: Evolution of the vampire in fiction. Panel: Does it say anything about our culture, or just something about the shift in who likes to read about them? With Stephanie Gildart and Pati Nagle.

Sunday 11pm: Writing: Alpha and Beta Reading Process #2. With JC Runolfson, Moondancer Drake, and Pati Nagle. (note: this is basically the same panel as yesterday repeated at two different times, not a part one and part two continuation.)

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, flycon2009

• posted by Jeri @ 12:01 AM
• 0 comments

Saturday's Flycon schedule

Flycon 2009 is in full swing! Here's the full schedule, complete with links to each panel "room."

***NOTE: Anyone can participate--you don't need a login or a LiveJournal username or a secret handshake. Just reply to a response to comment on it, or start a new thread with a new question.***

I have a few items today (copied and updated from Thursday's post):

Saturday 8am: Editing. Writers on editing, editors on editing, writers on editors editing, and editors on writers editing. With Sharyn Lilley, Deva Fagan, and Sue Lange.

Saturday 10am: Recommend Me Something Good: Do recommendations work? Panel: the role of social media in driving recommendations & buying in relevant genres; roles of book reviewers online, pro and amateur. Do recommendations work? How directly do authors like their readers to talk back? With Sue Lange, Kasey Mackenzie, and Tamara Mazzei.

Saturday 11am: Writing: Alpha and Beta Reading Process #1 Panel: What are Alpha Readers? What are Beta readers? Who uses them, and how well do they work? The usefulness of writing partners, writing groups, and self-editing. With Megan Crewe, Chris Dolley, and Moondancer Drake.

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, flycon2009

• posted by Jeri @ 12:49 AM
• 0 comments

Friday Flycon schedule

Flycon 2009 is officially on! This international, round-the-clock online convention began at midnight tomorrow Sydney, Australia time. (Hmm, that's weird--it "began tomorrow"?)

Here's the full schedule, complete with links to each panel "room."

***NOTE: Anyone can participate--you don't need a login or a LiveJournal username or a secret handshake. Just reply to a response to comment on it, or start a new thread with a new question.***

I have a few items today (copied from yesterday's post, but now with new, linky goodness):

Friday noon: When is Young Adult not really for Young Adults? Panel: sex and violence are standards now, what makes a young adult novel for kids? And what makes one really for adults? With Jana Oliver, Tessa Gratton, Jackson Pearce, and David Macinnis Gill. **And special guest: my phenom agent Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd., an expert in YA publishing, will stop by to discuss the topic**

Friday 3pm: Author chat. Just me. And you know, I'll probably give away a prize, because I like to bribe people into pretending to be my friends.

Friday 11pm: Banter: How much fun do you get out of it? Panel: who writes the best banter; favourite bits; when is the wiseass narrator a draw, or a drawback? With Harry J Connolly, JC Runolfson, and Lisa Mantchev.

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, flycon2009

• posted by Jeri @ 9:17 AM
• 0 comments

Flycon 2009

This weekend I'm attending a science fiction/fantasy convention at my house, and you're all invited! But bring your own punch and pie, because I'm not buying any extra food. Oh, and a tent, because I'm also not opening my door.

OR

You could just attend online, like the rest of us. Flycon 2009 is an international, round-the-clock sf/f convention, complete with panels, a dealers' room, and even a costuming track!

How is this possible, you ask? Go to Flycon's LiveJournal community page, where by tomorrow morning there'll be links to each of the panels, author chats, and other activities.

Attendance at panels is open to everyone (well, everyone with a computer and internet connection, which, if you're reading this, includes you).

Here's the full Flycon schedule (note various time zones listed on the left).

Here's my schedule (all times are US Eastern):

Friday noon: When is Young Adult not really for Young Adults? Panel: sex and violence are standards now, what makes a young adult novel for kids? And what makes one really for adults? With Jana Oliver, Tessa Gratton, and David Macinnis Gill. **And special guest: my phenom agent Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd., an expert in YA publishing**

Friday 3pm: Author chat. Just me. And you know, I'll probably give away a prize, because I like to bribe people into pretending to be my friends.

Friday 11pm: Banter: How much fun do you get out of it? Panel: who writes the best banter; favourite bits; when is the wiseass narrator a draw, or a drawback? With Harry J Connolly, JC Runolfson, and Lisa Mantchev.

Saturday 8am: Editing. Writers on editing, editors on editing, writers on editors editing, and editors on writers editing. With Sharyn Lilley, Deva Fagan, and Sue Lange.

Saturday 10am: Recommend Me Something Good: Do recommendations work? Panel: the role of social media in driving recommendations & buying in relevant genres; roles of book reviewers online, pro and amateur. Do recommendations work? How directly do authors like their readers to talk back? With Sue Lange and Tamara Mazzei.

Saturday 11am: Writing: Alpha and Beta Reading Process #1 The usefulness of writing partners, writing groups, and self-editing. With Megan Crewe, Chris Dolley, and Moondancer Drake.

Sunday 7am: I WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID THAT AND YOU KNOW IT. Writers breaking the fourth wall to interview characters: Some writers find interviewing characters and having characters ‘talk’ in posts fun, helpful, and others find it awful. Some readers love it when writers do it on blogs, others look away and pretend it never happened. Discuss character building and breaking the fourth wall. With Stephanie Gildart.

Sunday 11am: Families in fantasy. Many heroes are unmarried orphans without siblings or children. Why this is so common and what do writers do when they do give their heroes families? With Julia Rios and Devon Monk.

Sunday 11pm: Writing: Alpha and Beta Reading Process #2. With JC Runolfson, Moondancer Drake, and Pati Nagle. (note: this is basically the same panel repeated at two different times, not a part one and part two continuation.)

Hope to "see" you there! Bring punch and pie.

Labels: appearances, flycon2009

• posted by Jeri @ 11:45 AM
• 0 comments

A 100% Jeri-centric NY Comic Con report

If you enjoy single-POV, tunnel-vision accounts of major media conventions, read on!

WHAT I DID (SPECIFICALLY)

Had brunch with my agent (the indomitable Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd.) and my brand-new editor (the ultra-sweet Annette Pollert of Pulse, which is Simon & Schuster's young adult imprint) at Trestle on Tenth, a cute little cafe where they made perfect over-medium eggs (something I can only accomplish about 40% of the time at home). Admired the gorgeous view of the Lukoil, the car wash, and the bank of pay phones (still only 25 cents in NYC--a bargain!).

Picked up my badge at Comic Con. Under my name it said, "Professional Creator," which I'm pretty sure is the title on the door of God's office.

Hung out with Annette at Comic Con and had a great time. We wandered about, looking at all the stuff, none of which I remember, for a reason that will become apparent below.

Finally found the S&S booth, met a few more Pulse people, including publisher Bethany Buck and editor Liesa Abrams. Marveled at how incredibly cool their covers are. Got goose bumps all over again at the thought of being published by them.

Shuffled over to Pocket's table, where I saw the cover for Bad to the Bone on a big piece of posterboard at the top of the display. Badass! I was told people had been asking about it all weekend.

Gave a brief interview to the lovely Clare Toohey at Book Spot Central.

Signed giveaway Advance Review Copies of Bad to the Bone. There was a line! Of people who had actually heard of me! I tell you, there is no finer feeling in the world than having one's book raved about while one's editor is standing right there. (In this case it was my brilliant Pocket editor Jennifer Heddle.)

WHAT I DID (GENERALLY)

Sweated. A lot. Because it's New York.

Got Javits Feet, a condition common to those attending NYC conventions, especially people like me who wear high-heeled boots so they'll feel tall and confident in the face of an intimidating situation. I recommend finding a safer source of confidence, such as liquor.

WHAT I DID NOT DO:

Go to panels.

See other authors or artists. I definitely did not see Joss Whedon (though I did see a corner of Amber Benson's head from a distance--not that her head is square).

Sleep the night before. I don't know why. Maybe it was just knowing that I had to get up at 4:30 am to leave at 5:45 to make a 6:45 train. Maybe it was the fact that Flogging Molly's "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" was playing at top volume in my head. Maybe I forgot to take my melatonin (I need one of those pill organizers, since I'm losing my mind). Regardless, I got a half-hour's sleep (3:30-4), after which I woke up feeling hot and sick.

So all day it seemed like I had a hangover, a sensation only slightly mitigated by the excellent coffee and food from Trestle on Tenth, but wholly mitigated by the wonderful people I was lucky enough to spend time with. It was definitely worth the trip!

If for some crazy reason you want an outside-the-Jeri bubble account of New York Comic Con, try today's Biting Edge, where guest blogger Krystn talks about all the free stuff she got. Books, comics, swag, etc.

Me, I got a God badge and a Twilight pen. And the priceless intangible of hanging-out-with-editors.

But seriously, New York Comic Con is great, definitely not just for comic fans. I highly recommend it, and next time, I might even go for more than a few hours! If you go, too, I hope to see more than a corner of your head.

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Now playing: Flogging Molly - Rebels of the Sacred Heart
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, vampire series, writing life

• posted by Jeri @ 10:06 AM
• 3 comments

First BAD TO THE BONE signing this Sunday

Just wanted to pop in to let you know that I'll be at New York Comic Con this Sunday, February 8, signing Advanced Review Copies of Bad to the Bone (sequel to Wicked Game) at 3:30pm at the Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster booth. Yay!

Technically my signing lasts until 4:30, but last year the books lasted about half that time, so come as close to 3:30 as possible to be sure to grab your copy. It doesn't come out until May 19!

Oh, and if you want to see the cover for the new book, Ciara seems to have a monopoly on the thing, on her Twitter profile. I'll be putting it up here soon. Swear. I'm a little behind on some of my promo tasks this year, due to all the, well, writing. Crazy priorities, I know!

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Now playing: Wonderwall - Oasis
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, twitter, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 6:19 PM
• 3 comments

Jim's story is live!

I’ve posted the third story in my “Days the Music Died”/how-the-DJs-became-vampires series (thanks to Renee S. for the series title suggestion!).

At the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, Jim tunes in and turns on to a group of hippies who promise him the experience of a lifetime. The last experience, as it turns out.

Here’s the opening line:


Read the rest!

This story’s page features an Isle of Wight set list playlist, as well as a video of The Doors performing “When the Music’s Over,” the song they sang while Jim, uh, broke on through to the other side.

BONUS GIVEAWAY: Everyone who e-mails me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com (or comments on this post) with their thoughts on Jim’s story will be put into a drawing to win a choice of ONE of the following:

1) a DVD of MESSAGE TO LOVE: THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL, featuring performances by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Joni Mitchell
2) a CD of The Who’s Isle of Wight concert
3) a CD of Jimi Hendrix’s Isle of Wight act, which sadly was his final appearance before his death

The drawing will take place at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, December 2.

If you subscribed to my newsletter, you could've read it a week ago. I'm just sayin'. The signup box is on every page of my website.

Read the first in the short story series: “Crossroads” (Monroe’s tale).

And the second, “Rave On” (Spencer’s story).

I probably won't be blogging again until after the holiday weekend. I plan to spend the week catching up on e-mail, cooking scrumptious food, and nursing my convalescent post-surgical pupster.

For frequent updates, this week and always, come follow me on Twitter. You're more likely to see the real, spontaneous me there any day. If you need extra incentive, in February I'll be doing a Twitter-exclusive contest to win an ARC of Bad to the Bone. It's fun, it's quick, it's thoroughly non-annoying: it's Twitter!

(By the way, you don't have to be a Twitter user to follow me--my status updates have an RSS feed. But the contest will be for Twitter users only.)

Don't forget, I'll be signing books and doing a reading from The Reawakened at the Winchester, VA, Borders bookstore this Saturday, 3-5pm. Hope to see you there!


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Now playing: Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, Contests, short stories, twitter, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 12:23 PM
• 1 comments

Saturday's booksigning, and a great cause

A couple of quick notes before I dive into my main project for the day, catching up on all my e-mail, MySpace, Facebook, etc. correspondences before they saturate my alveoli. (That's not as dirty as it sounds.)

This Saturday I'll be signing all my books (including the new one, The Reawakened) at the Waldenbooks in Cumberland, MD, along with several other local fantasy/science fiction/horror authors. If you're in the area, please come out and say hi. Do your part to keep the economy from imploding.

Fellow fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss is raising money for a wonderful charity, Heifer International, an organization that really makes a difference in the lives of ordinary people by providing them with livestock with which they can continue to earn a living. (Obviously, it's animals like goats and chickens and sheep, which can produce without being slaughtered.) He's matching every donated dollar, and the thermometer thingy on his donation page is getting redder and redder.

Patrick has a similar philosophy toward charitable giving as I do:

There are a lot of worthwhile charities out there. Important causes. Things I feel strongly about. But Heifer is my favorite. Here's why.

Let's say by some miracle I raised ten thousand dollars to help fight cancer, or Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's. While it would help the cause, it would just be a tiny drop in the bucket. Enough to help fund some lab's research for a couple weeks.

But we don't need to research a cure for hunger or poverty. We know how that works. Heifer doesn't just hand out bags of rice, Heifer gives a family a goat and teaches them how to take care of it. Then that family has a continual source of milk for their children. They can sell the extra milk to make money. When the goat has babies, they give those babies to other members of their community, sharing the gift.

Heifer helps people become self-reliant.

As part of his fundraiser, he's giving away fabulous prizes, which will eventually include an autographed Advance Reading Copy of The Reawakened. (I've been saving a couple just for this purpose.) Stay tuned to find out more. The giveaways run through December 11, I believe.

Questions? Click here to read all of Patrick's Heifer International-related posts. Then go forth and give goats.

Labels: appearances, Contests, good

• posted by Jeri @ 9:52 AM
• 0 comments

First signing for THE REAWAKENED

Popping my head up yet again like the proverbial Whack-a-Mole (though I can't think of any proverbs involving one) to let you know I'll be signing copies of all of my books at the Borders Express in Lancaster, PA, this Saturday, 1-3pm. It's a Halloween-themed event featuring several fantasy and horror writers from the area.

It also means there'll probably be candy. So yay.

Of course the featured book at the signing will be The Reawakened, which officially releases today!! Happy Birthday to my fifth published novel!

I'll be celebrating today by finishing my sixth published novel. That's the life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Labels: appearances, The Reawakened

• posted by Jeri @ 9:20 AM
• 2 comments

Capclave Cancellation

Due to circumstances beyond my control (by definition, if I could control them, I would do it, and thus become God), I won't be attending Capclave this weekend.

Insert giant sad face.

You should still go, if you're in the DC area, because it's a truly awesome convention. Say hi to everyone for me, and I'll see 'em next year.

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 9:21 PM
• 3 comments

Brief NAIBA recap and musings from people who don't exist

Just got back from the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference in Cherry Hill, NJ. I love bookseller trade shows because hey, I love booksellers. But I also love them because I get a chance to mingle with people outside my genres, and because I get to see previews of books that aren't coming out for months. Oh, and I might have picked up a book or ARC or two. Or sixty.

My name is Jeri, and I'm a Bookaholic. {{hiiiii Jeriiiiii}}

Anyway, the work day is over for most people, but I've got a novel to revise, so I've got a full night's work ahead of me. So this'll be quick, another "They blog so I don't have to" moment.

In a post entitled "Eat your heart out, George Clooney," Ciara brags about a review in Green Man Review, which I have to admit is one of my favorites, too:

Wicked Game is clever, funny, creative, and way too much fun. Jeri Smith-Ready plays with a concept I always thought would work well with vampires, setting them up as nighttime radio DJs whose familiarity with the material comes from actual experience, and she does it well, throwing in a nice mixture of musical styles and character personalities. Honestly, this is a book I wish I'd written, so I'm glad someone went ahead and did it. Smith-Ready's treatment of vampires is slightly skewed from the average depiction; in her world, vampires need to find a balance between the time period in which they were alive, and the modern era, lest they become disconnected and unable to function. Moreover, they're essentially locked in to their "Life Time," unable to easily change or grow or learn new things as time marches on without them. This imbues this particular breed of vampire with a unique and satisfying vulnerability, which makes for some interesting complications in their society. She also plays with the nature of codependency between vampires and humans, showing various ways in which they each get what they want, be it sex, money, protection, or dinner (you guess which is which. . . .) Maybe it's not all entirely original, since there's only so much variation possible, but it's explored nicely here.

Ciara's a fun character in her own right, a natural con artist who's always looking for that extra angle to exploit, and that back door to escape through. She's pragmatic, and naturally skeptical at first when things get weird, reacting like any normal person would, but when the chips are down, she really shines. In fact, it's safe to say she's got some massive reserves of confidence to draw upon, and an amazing amount of chutzpah, given some of the plans she comes up with. It'll be interesting to see what she does next, after what she pulls off in this book.

Wicked Game is a sure-fire winner in my opinion, and the sequel will be one of my must-reads.

Delish. Read the rest and see if you can figure out Ciara's favorite line. By the way, I don't know why the last two paragraphs are italicized. Fun with Blogger!

Then in Shane's World, our favorite vampire DJ (well, my favorite, anyway) waxes nostalgic about 80s video games, and shares with us a clip from a hilarious spoof of "Pac-Man the Movie."

Off to eat my first real meal of the day and then get crackin' on the manuscript. Tomorrow I'll be back with the results of Spencer's story contest.

----------------
Now playing: Calico Horse - Awake In the Clouds
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, MySpace, reviews, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 5:29 PM
• 3 comments

Author Extravaganza this Saturday

Well, the big family weekend went smashingly. Meadow loved the kids, and not just because they held food at mouth level. She was positively giddy with happiness, and didn't even flinch when the screaming began.

We are now all very tired.

This Saturday I'll be at the Country Club Mall in Cumberland, MD, from 11-3 for their Author Extravaganza. There'll be about two dozen authors signing books, so if you're in the area, drop on in!

I've done a few website updates:

News page, with new upcoming appearances in 2008 and 2009
Wicked Game page, new reviews and links
About me page, new interviews (all of which I've linked to on this blog at some point)

Enjoy!

Labels: appearances, website

• posted by Jeri @ 12:59 PM
• 0 comments

Conestoga brief and contest updates

I'll post my Conestoga rundown tomorrow--I'm running behind right now due to United Airlines having stolen a day of my life.

EDITED TO ADD: Read others' accounts of Conestoga here on the Fangs Fur & Fey debriefing post.

All I can say is that it was fabulous, one of my all-time favorite convention/conference experiences. I had a chance to talk at length with a lot of people I'd only met briefly at more hectic conferences like RT, or had met only online. The convention was tons of fun, without leaving me feeling like I'd been hit by a cement truck.

The trip there and back, on the other hand?

Let's see, from the time I left my house until I got to my hotel room Thursday: 17 hours.

On the way home? 26 hours.

I'm once again thinking of giving up air travel.

Two contest updates:

The winner of a copy of Nancy Hunter's Taste of Liberty is Jamie! Thanks to everyone who commented on the interview last week, and especially thanks to Nancy for stopping by. Jamie, please get in touch with me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com to claim your fabulous prize.

Also, there's one day left to win a signed copy of Wicked Game on Sidhe Vicious's blog, where she interviewed me earlier this month.

Now. Must shower. Brush teeth. Buy groceries. All the things I couldn't do while standing in line at Customer Service. (Fortunately, I am part English, so standing patiently in line is in my blood.)

Labels: appearances, Contests, interview

• posted by Jeri @ 1:05 PM
• 1 comments

Conestoga schedule - UPDATE

Busy day ahead, as always the day before leaving for a con. I am so SO excited, because there'll be a lot of people there I adore, plus even more people I barely met at RT and didn't have time to get to know on account of trying to be a social butterfly and hang out with all 1,200 people for five seconds each.

Real quick, here's my Conestoga schedule:

Friday

Nothing scheduled for the daytime! You'll probably find me attending panels or hanging out in the bar, dealers room, con suite, or art show. On the other hand, I might be touring Tulsa or holing up in my room doing work, in which case you won't find me.

9pm, bar - Fangs, Fur & Fey get-together. Please feel free to stop by and talk to us urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors. We are weird but friendly.

Saturday

9am, Main Hall across from Registration: SIGNING with the lovely and talented Jeaniene Frost, Gena Showalter and Shanna Swendson. Even if you don't have something for me to sign, please stop by and say hi.

NOTE: The Dealer's Room doesn't open until 10am Saturday, so if you want to buy something for one of us to sign, make sure to grab it Friday night.

***ALSO, never assume at any convention that the Dealer's Room will have a large enough supply of an author's books. If you have your heart set on a signed copy, bring the book with you to to the con. Trust me, I've been burned more than once on this, both as a fan and an author.***

11am, Salon F: RELIGION IN FANTASY AND HORROR (moderator) - Panelists include Linda Donahue, M. H. (Maggie) Bonhan, Steven E. Wedel, Angeline Hawkes, Shanna Swendson, and THE james k. burk.

12pm, Chairman room: BROAD UNIVERSE RAPID-FIRE READING - Come listen to eight authors read for 5-6 minutes each from our latest works. Host: J. Kathleen Cheney. Fellow Broads: Rachel Caine, Marie Brennan, Melanie Fletcher, Devon Monk, Suzette Haden Elgin, Melanie Fletcher

3pm, Main Hall across from registration: NEW SIGNING TIME!

5pm, Executive: LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX - Other panelists include PC Cast, Patrice Michelle, Jeaniene Frost, and Gena Showalter.

6pm, ??: AUTHOR SPEED DATING - Authors in pairs move from table to table at 3-5 minute intervals so readers can meet us individually. I'm psyched to be paired with Rachel Caine!

7-9pm, Regency: NEW RELEASE RECEPTION - Come help celebrate our new releases (within three months of Conestoga)! Cash bar!

Sunday

9am (why do cons always give me 9am Sunday panels? Do I have Sucker written across my virtual face?), Salon G: AUTHOR/READER CONNECTIONS - with fellow Suckers Kristin Cast and Caitlin Kittredge. My first experience as the oldest member of a panel, and it'll be by more than ten years. (Oh God, fifteen years?!)

I'll try to blog from the con, but I rarely get time, so I would recommend against holding your breath.

Wish me luck a better flight than last time!

----------------
Now playing: Tori Amos - Lust
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 1:13 PM
• 0 comments

Marathon Chat Saturday!

This just in! I've just confirmed that I'll be taking part in author Jacquelyn Frank's Marathon Chat tomorrow (Saturday) and giving away a signed copy of Wicked Game to one lucky participant.

Here's the schedule:

10:00am – 11:00am: Patrice Michelle

11:00am - 12:00 noon: Alexandra Ivy

12:00pm - 1:00pm: Gena Showalter

1:00pm - 2:00pm: JJ Massa

2:00pm - 3:00pm Lauren Dane

3:00pm - 4:00pm HelenKay Dimon

4:00pm - 5:00pm Lara Adrian

5:00pm - 6:00pm: Cynthia Eden

6:00pm - 7:00pm: Me

7:00pm - 8:00pm: Meljean Brook

8:00pm - 9:00pm: Shelly Laurenston

9:00pm - 10:00pm: Yasmine Galenorn

To participate, go to Jacquelyn's forum page and click the link that says "Visit the Chat Room." It's very small, right under the header, on the left side.

Each author will be giving away signed copies of their latest releases, so stop by, hang out, and win stuff!

----------------
Now playing: Geechie Wiley - Last Kind Word Blues
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, Contests, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 8:56 PM
• 0 comments

Not-So-Lazy Sunday

Yesterday's event at Constellation Books went amazingly well. I'm always astonished when people I don't know show up at these things. Some of them had read the article in the Westminster Eagle and discovered the book takes place in a fictional version of our little town.

The store sold out of copies of Wicked Game and Eyes of Crow, so I had to send my Knight in Polo Shirt home to fetch some more books, which the store bought from me on commission and then resold to the folks who wanted one.

Bizarre coincidence: the owner of Constellation Books, Lauretta, used to work with my husband at the Space Telescope Science Institute. As my friend Jason says, "Maryland: Two Degrees of Separation."

Anyway, it's a fantastic store, and I'm definitely going back next year for Bad to the Bone. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from our friends (I remembered my camera but forgot the batteries were dead).

Note to Maryland vampire fans: Constellation Books is having a Breaking Dawn party to celebrate the release of Stephenie Meyer's next novel. So pre-order your copy today!

In other news, I discovered we aren't actually supposed to pick up Baron until next Saturday. It was right there in the e-mail from the shelter, but I missed it, just assuming that the first day I could take the dog (today) would be the day he would come, so I only looked at the time and place, not the date. Oops.

So today I'm going to:

a) work on Monroe's story (the first line of which I wrote yesterday)
b) dive into my e-mail inbox and try not to drown
c) start a new online class that will help me rewrite Bad to the Bone and write the proposal for my new Young Adult series

I'm still working on the slowing-down-for-the-summer thing.


***Don't forget, you have until 5PM Monday to enter to win a signed copy of Sarah Beth Durst's Into the Wild or Out of the Wild.***

----------------
Now playing: Muddy Waters - I Want to be Loved
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, bookstores, foster dogs, I'm a dork, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 11:22 AM
• 0 comments

Tea with Me

Saturday I'll be at one of the local indie bookstores, Constellation Books, for a Tea with the Author event from 3-5 PM. I'll do a reading and basically hang out and chat and eat cookies.

Constellation is located at 303 Main Street in Reisterstown, MD. Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, bookstores

• posted by Jeri @ 8:57 PM
• 0 comments

In other news...

A few updates:

After nearly a year of crushing deadlines (me), a pinched nerve (Meadow), and madcap traveling (me), we're getting another foster dog next week! Her name is Annie (web page TBA), and if things go well, she'll be joined shortly by her "sister" Beanie. Yes, we are making up for lost time.

I have a deadline next Monday morning for Bad to the Bone, the sequel to Wicked Game. I'm putting in all-dayers between now and then, so this might be my last blog post for a week, though I do have half of one I might be able to post tomorrow if I get a few minutes tonight. Also, don't get mad if I don't return e-mails right away. Do you want another vampire book or not? (Don't answer that.)

Also, the winner of a signed copy of Nancy Haddock's La Vida Vampire is...Diana Cosby! Yay! Diana, just send your mailing address to me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com, and I'll pass it on to Nancy. Thanks to everyone who commented and made Nancy feel at home, and also thanks for all those great ideas for vampire hobbies (taking notes).

And now my last bit of news, which was originally going to be Friday's update....

Wicked Game was #4 on Mysterious Galaxy's paperback bestseller list for the month of May!

Thanks a million to all of you who pre-ordered the book to have me sign, or came to the Birthday Bash on May 10, or who have ordered it since. I appreciate the support for the book, but even more I appreciate your support for this phenomenal independent bookseller. These people work very hard (and have a lot of fun) promoting the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. They know their stuff and deserve all the success they get.

They should still have some signed First Editions of Wicked Game at the store, so if you'd like one (or more), go order today!

----------------
Now playing: Fast As You Can - FIONA APPLE
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, bookstores, Contests, foster dogs, guests, vampire series, writing life

• posted by Jeri @ 7:11 AM
• 4 comments

Philadelphia Fever

I'm headed back home to the city (or at least the greater metro area) where I was born. I've got two--count 'em, TWO--book signings scheduled for this Saturday, May 31.

I'll be signing Wicked Game (all my books, actually) at the Barnes & Noble at the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware*, from noon to 2pm. Then I'll shoot up I-95 to the Borders Express in the Springfield Mall in Springfield, Pennsylvania, where I'll be from 3-5pm.

So if you're not headed 'down da shore' this weekend, stop by and show me some Brotherly Love*. Bring your friends! And soft pretzels!

*please note that the official city slogan is now "The City That Loves You Back"

Labels: appearances, bookstores, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 10:54 AM
• 2 comments

Updated -AGAIN!- Balticon schedule

I'll be at Balticon this weekend, at the Hunt Valley Marriott, Hunt Valley, MD. Connie Willis is the Author Guest of Honor, and I'm so psyched! I met her many years ago (though I'm sure she doesn't remember) at the National Writers Association National Conference in Denver in June 2000. She was wonderful and gave a great banquet speech.

Anyway, here's my schedule:

Saturday, midnight (that's technically Sunday at midnight, as in the end of the day on Saturday): VAMPIRES: We've Come a Long, Long Way. Let writers tell us what's new and what works with this still-popular character in drama. Other panelists include Tony Ruggiero and Claudia Gray.

Sunday, 4pm: Autographing

Sunday, 6pm: Reading from Wicked Game

Sunday, 9pm: Hal Clement Panel - How Does a Writer Create a Physical Universe? Get it done without breaking the laws of Einstein and Newton. How to get geology, biology and weather right enough for a reader to believe them. Other panelists include Catherine Asaro, Yoji Kondo, and Charles Gannon.

Sunday, 10pm-1am: Rock 'n' Roll in Science Fiction Panel with Catherine Asaro and local band Point Valid. Asaro and the band will discuss the making of the CD for her upcoming (May 2009) novel, Diamond Star. They'll also perform a few songs. Following the panel will be food and CAKE!! and a launch party for Wicked Game.

EDITED TO ADD: If you go to Balticon, please double-check the times and places of events, as last-minute changes do occur. A lot.

Hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 6:56 PM
• 0 comments

Win a WVMP swag bag!

Just popping in real quick (before my carpal tunnel thingie wears out):

The Book Girl is holding a contest between now and Sunday midnight for a bag of WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll swag--buttons, bookmarks, a book and more.

All you have to do to enter is comment on her blog post and tell her your favorite rock 'n' roll song. Easy, huh?

Have a great weekend, and I hope to see my MD, WV, VA, and DC folks at Borders in Winchester, VA, tomorrow from 3-5 for the signing!

Labels: appearances, Contests, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 5:41 PM

Happy Release Day to You!

Not me. You.

When Wicked Game officially hits the shelves across North America today, my work is done (except for the small detail of handing in the sequel this Friday). Release days are about the reader, not the writer. The reader finally has a chance to form his or her own relationship with the book, outside of reviews and ads and endless blog posts stretching back to the day the contract was signed (eighteen months ago, in my case).

Getting ready for a book’s release is sort of like planning a big party or a wedding. Prepare as much as you can, handle the variables you can control (which, in publishing, isn’t much), then sit back and take the rest as it comes. And just like with a party, don’t let the stress get in the way of enjoying yourself. (I'm of course a total hypocrite--I've been on the verge of a nervous breakdown all day.)

If you're stopping by for the first time, here's a bit about the book. If you're sick of hearing about it, skip down to the new stuff.

Late-night radio you can sink your teeth into

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, 60s psychedelia, 80s Goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers how the DJs maintain their cred: they’re vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.

Ciara’s first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WMMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station—and the link it provides to their original Life Times—the vampires would “fade,” becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover becomes a matter of life and un-death.

To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara re-brands the station as “WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll.” In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs’ vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around—next to Ciara’s complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the “gimmick” enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren’t so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher-and the perils graver-than any con game Ciara’s ever played…

Smith-Ready’s musical references are spot on, as is her take on corporate radio’s creeping airwave hegemony. Add in the irrepressible Ciara, who grew up in a family of grifters, and the results rock. — Publisher’s Weekly

A colorful premise and engaging characters make the author’s (Aspect of Crow trilogy; Requiem for the Devil) latest a fun read. Recommended for all urban fantasy and paranormal romance collections. — Library Journal

WICKED GAME is an urban fantasy thrill ride. Not only is the story incredibly entertaining and exciting—even a little romantic—but it's also sexy as hell. — Simply Romance Reviews

New news:

— A sequel, Bad to the Bone, will be released May 1, 2009. That’s just fifty weeks away!

— The website for WVMP The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll is now live! Visit WVMPradio.com to learn more about the DJs and hear their playlists, courtesy of the Playlist Project at Playlist.com. (Hat-tip to author Stephanie Kuehnert for telling me about the site.)

— WVMPradio.com also links to the station's official CafePress store, where you can now buy your own Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll merchandise.

— Our intrepid heroine Ciara Griffin is now on MySpace. Come friend her so she feels like a real person.

— Next signing: Borders Books in Winchester, VA--Saturday, May 17 from 3-5pm. Click here for directions, and check out my news page for more signings in the next few weeks.

And now, a humble request:

As with most series, the longevity of the WVMP vampires depends on reader enthusiasm, which is as it should be. So if you like Wicked Game, tell your friends, family, bookseller, librarian, and that guy/girl you’re always making eye contact with at the bus stop (no, not that one, the other one). That way, there'll be many more books to come.

Thanks to every one of you, whether you've known me since I was a wee bairn, or whether you've just heard of me for the first time this minute.

Now it's time for me to shut up and write. And let you read.

Order links:

Mysterious Galaxy

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Labels: appearances, MySpace, vampire series, website, writing life

• posted by Jeri @ 5:00 PM
• 6 comments

Learning not to fly

Glad to be alive today to tell this story. To lighten things up, I'll splice in some quotes from Airplane, one of my favorite movies.

7:30pm Central Time, Chicago's O'Hare Airport: The place is packed with frustrated travelers. Flights to the east coast are delayed and canceled due to "air traffic control," which means, "weather" (but they're not allowed to say 'weather,' for some reason). Gusty wind and heavy rain are forecast for our arrival in Baltimore. Anticipating turbulence, I skip dinner (this becomes important later).

---

Steve McCroskey: Johnny, what can you make out of this?
[Hands him the weather briefing]
Johnny: This? Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl...

---

We're sitting on the runway, and a customer service agent comes on the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, we're ready to go, except we're waiting for the first officer and the captain to arrive." I quip to my rowmates, "I hope they're not in the bar."

---

[as the plane prepares to take off]
Hanging Lady: Nervous?
Ted Striker: Yes.
Hanging Lady: First time?
Ted Striker: No, I've been nervous lots of times.

---

Flight is fine out of Chicago. For the second time today, I watch an episode of Chuck without sound. Anticipating turbulence, I order a seltzer water.

With the spontaneity only afforded to those who sit on the aisle, I decide to use the restroom. The moment I lock the door, the plane starts to shimmy (the two events aren't connected, as far as I can tell). A sign over the sink lights up--a sign depicting a stick figure getting her ass back to her seat. I obey. (Commercial air travel is a good place to exercise respect for authority.)

---

Steve McCroskey: This fog is getting thicker.
Johnny: And Leon is getting laaaaarrrrrger.

---

The turbulence is fierce, the worst I've ever experienced. I bury myself in a book and successfully ignore it.

Suddenly, we lose altitude. A lot of altitude. A moment later, the pilot guns the engine and we're ascending again, fast and hard. Assuming he's avoiding a cloud or something, I look out the window--

--and see the airport buildings fading below us. We just almost landed but didn't. It was a touch-and-go, but without the touch.

---

Dr. Rumack: Elaine, you're a member of this crew. Can you face some unpleasant facts?
Elaine Dickinson: No.

---

A voice comes out of the speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your first officer. As you can tell, we're not on the ground yet. [burst of nervous laughter from the crowd] We caught a little bit of wind shear on approach, so our captain decided to take us around again."

It turns out, a sudden wind shear dumped us a few feet from the ground, but it happened to be a part of the ground that had no runway. Only the pilot's lightning-fast reflexes saved us from a Very Bad Touch. He was definitely NOT in the bar before we left Chicago.

Quick aviation lesson: This diagram depicts a commercial aircraft avoiding wind shear by increasing speed and altitude. However, if you look closely you'll notice that the avoidance occurs far up in the air. When wind shear hits close to the ground, as it did to us, the diagram depicts a red X next to the runway. SPLAT.

---

Jack Kirkpatrick: Shanna, they bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash.

---

So we're circling the airport again, making another approach. The storm is worsening. The plane is pitching and rolling, fighting the wind. Passengers are puking (thankfully not the guy next to me, who somehow SLEPT through the whole thing).

I bury myself in the book again, but I know there's a small chance that on our next approach the wind shear will drop us into the ground--this time with no feet to spare. I don't pray, but I do consider a few consequences of my demise:

1. My book would become a posthumous bestseller.
2. But the sequel would never be published.
3. My mom would never know I sent her Mother's Day flowers, since stupid FTD didn't deliver them.

---

[reading newspaper headlines]
Rex Kramer: Passengers certain to die!
Steve McCroskey: Airline negligent.
Johnny: There's a sale at Penney's!

---

We approach again, battling the wind and rain, fighting to stay straight. The plane is bobbing and weaving like Muhammad Ali. The ground gets closer, and closer. I think of how I love the city of Baltimore, but I don't want to become a permanent part of it.

We're over the runway, still rolling and pitching, and then...we're wheels down! All of them! Permanently!

We break into spontaneous applause. We hoot and cheer when the captain says, "Welcome to Baltimore" (even though he left off the 'hon'). The guy behind me announces that as part of a new bargain with God, he'll never fly again. Some continue to puke. My hands are shaking so hard, I have trouble calling my husband to tell him I'm alive. He's currently on I-95 in the pouring rain, on his own survival mission, so I leave my story until pickup.

We all thank the pilot on our way out.

Tonight I plan to watch Airplane while eating a box of Kraft Macaroni 'n' Cheese. I will also check to see if Amtrak goes to Tulsa.

---

Captain Oveur: Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?

Labels: abject fear, appearances, movies

• posted by Jeri @ 9:46 AM
• 6 comments

Library of Congress What If talk

So yeah, I was up on the Hill today, talkin' about my new book...

No, really! There I was, a stone's throw away from the Capitol (though I *don't* recommend throwing stones at federal buildings unless you like the taste of sidewalk), giving a talk at the Library of Congress. They have a "What If" science fiction/fantasy forum, to which they invite authors to read or discuss their books and stories.

It went pretty well, aside from a few technical difficulties. The iPod got tired of waiting for me to start, so it took a nap in its cozy little docking station, which meant the remote control wouldn't, you know, control it. I had to walk over and wake it up.

So embarrassing. They never perform when you want them to.

But it seemed to go well otherwise, judging by the audience reaction. They laughed, they cried (okay, they didn't cry, even when I chopped raw onions), they bought all my copies of Wicked Game. I'm told I was the first author ever to sell out at one of these talks, and they've had some pretty big-name authors (who, no doubt, brought bigger boxes of books, so I'm not congratulating myself too vigorously).

I wish I'd brought my camera, because it was a gorgeous day. Washington, DC, is lovely in the spring, until about Memorial Day, when it turns into the Ninth Circle of Hell.

But I did get to keep my parking permit, the thing that let me past the scary reinforced steel barrier that said STOP! in big red letters. It made me feel special, so I'll share it with you:



Yay. I am now officially Important. And in Washington, nothing else matters.

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Now playing: Wilco - Hummingbird
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 8:05 PM
• 1 comments

LoC talk and Wicked Game giveaway!

I'm giving a talk at the Library of Congress this afternoon, as part of their "What If" Science Fiction/Fantasy forum.

Scared, am I? Yes, quite a bit. I'm not used to having the entire stage to myself when I have to make stuff up.

The title of my talk is "Rock 'n' Roll Can Never Die." I'll be reading several snippets from Wicked Game, interspersed with a few appropriate songs and a discussion of how music has inspired my writing process. It might totally rock, or it might flop. I'll let you know.

On the Internetz, Werecat author Rachel Vincent is giving away a copy of Wicked Game AND a box of chocolates to one lucky commenter this week. Yes, chocolate. Which makes her officially today's Best...Person...in The World! Last week she discussed the book on her blog, which made me all pitter-pattery.

And don't forget, you have through the rest of the day today to enter the drawing for one of Cynthia Eden's fantastic new books.

Labels: appearances, Contests, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 9:00 AM
• 2 comments

Autographed copy reminder

I'm reposting March 18's notice, because it's almost time for me to hightail it to San Diego for my first official Wicked Game signing (not counting the pre-pub signing at New York Comic Con and the random walk-up-to-me-in-the-dealer's-room signings at RavenCon, both of which I enjoyed mightily).

There's important information for you in the second paragraph, so read on.


I'm thrilled to announce that on Saturday, May 10, 3-4pm, I'll be a spotlight author at Mysterious Galaxy's 15th Birthday Bash! MG is one of the nation's premier science fiction/fantasy bookstores. Other authors at the Bash will include Charlaine Harris, Susan Hubbard, Jeff Mariotte, Savannah Russe, Samantha Sommersby, and Robert Tenenbaum.

Why should you care, if you're not a San Diegoan? Because if you pre-order your copy of Wicked Game from them, you can ask them to have me sign and personalize it for you while I'm there. Just put "Please have Jeri autograph (and personalize to NAME, if you want it personalized, otherwise I'll just sign my name)" in the comment box when you order online, or say it out loud when you call them at 858-268-4747 to order.

For the online orders, let's say you should do it by May 8 to be safe. Also, put your name instead of the word NAME. Unless that's really your name, in which case, I'm sorry, in both senses of the word.


Ah, that was easy. I should repost more often. Heck, people watch reruns all the time on TV.

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Now playing: Scentless Apprentice (Rehearsal) - Nirvana
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances, bookstores, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 12:52 AM
• 0 comments

RavenCon this weekend

I'm heading out of town again tomorrow morning, this time for RavenCon 2008. This is the convention's third year, but it's been getting rave reviews from guests and attendees alike. The Author Guest of Honor this year is C.S. Friedman; the Artist Guest, Stephen Hickman; and Fan GoH is Filthy Pierre.

Here's where I'll be:

Friday, 6PM: REINVENTING THE PARANORMAL, with J. Jagi Lamplighter and Jean Marie Ward (moderator). The romance authors are doing it. Find out how they develop new stories for the same old ghost, werewolf, vampire, shape shifter or alien by blending genres.

Friday, 9PM: WRITING THE PERFECT BLURB, with Jana Oliver, David Coe (mod), and Edmund Schubert. How does one go about writing that perfect blurb for their book to that coveted editor or agent?

Saturday, 12 noon: BLOGGING FOR THE MODERN-DAY WRITER, with Mike Kabango, Larry Holderfield, Valerie Griswold-Ford, and Jean Marie Ward (mod). Do you blog? How do blogs help new or established writers? What do blogging authors write about and how does it affect their “regular” writing?

Saturday, 3PM: USING PODCASTING FOR PROMOTION, with Rich Sigfrit, Stephen Euin Cobb, Tom Rockwell, and Mur Lafferty (mod). Join our panelists as they discuss how they use podcasting to promote their works.

Saturday, 5PM: KOFFEEKLATSCH, with just me. I'll do a reading, and then sign books or chat with anyone about anything.

Saturday, 7-10PM: 'TIME AND TUNES' LAUNCH PARTY!!! with my roommates Jana Oliver and Jean Marie Ward. Music from every era, a WVMP Radio cake, and drinks aplenty! For the room number, look for flyers posted, well, everywhere.

Sunday, 9AM (good God, nine a.m.??!!): URBAN FANTASY 101, with Jana Oliver, CJ Henderson, L Jagi Lamplighter, Jean Marie Ward. (I'll be moderating, which means I can only ask and not answer questions, which is good, because did you see what time this thing is?) Find out why urban fantasy is hot these days and learn all about demon hunting and bashing. Why are there werewolves, vampires and ghosts in a world that should be primarily the fey?

So stop by the Crowne Plaza at 6531 Broad Street, in Richmond, VA this Friday through Sunday. I guarantee you won't leaving quothing, "Nevermore!"

----------------
Now playing: (Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads
via FoxyTunes

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 11:37 AM
• 2 comments

Convention reports on their way!

Just got home from Jersey, where my friends Rob and Kathy graciously put me up for the last two nights. Their home was approximately 6,785,320 times better than the Hilton. (Not that I'm suggesting you should all go stay at their house.)

I'll try to write up some complete sentences about the RT Booklovers Convention and New York Comic Con tomorrow. Until then, hear more about RT at the blogs of Gennita Low, Rachel Vincent, and Jenna Black. I'm sure there are many more. If I can find a video of the vampire ball (see GL's Saturday post for a description), I'll be sure to link to it. I'm having trouble believing it myself.

Labels: appearances

• posted by Jeri @ 4:27 PM
• 0 comments

RT report(ish)

Can't write. Brain dead.

For a little taste of what our "work-in-progress" hotel experience has been, visit this entry of my roommate Gennita Low.

That sentence took me three minutes to write.

Labels: appearances, glitz 'n' glam

• posted by Jeri @ 7:30 PM
• 0 comments

ARCs for Charity results and me this week

Thanks a pazillion to all the folks who donated to yesterday's Walk MS for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. We had perfect weather--cool but not cold, partly cloudy, not a raindrop in sight. People came with strollers, walkers, wheelchairs and dogs. Big teams with their own logos and T-shirts, and little teams like ours. The top team at Towson yesterday raised over $11,000, but we were equally proud of our $725.


(UPDATE:
Latest totals: Towson walk, $212,576
Maryland walks so far: over $1 Million!)

I wish I could've given an ARC of Wicked Game to everyone who donated, but alas, the little buggers are gone or otherwise spoken for (see below for one reason why). So congrats to Donna R. who won the ARC, and also to runners up Cathy M., Stephanie S., and Susan B., to whom I'm sending a signed copy of Voice of Crow as a token of my extreme appreciation.

Three people suggested VH1's Save the Music Foundation to receive 10% of author royalties from Wicked Game, so congrats to Livi J., Jackie M. and Nina D., who all won an ARC! Save the Music supports music programs in public schools, programs which have faced enormous cutbacks, particularly in the last several years (don't get me started on "No Child Left Behind").

I'll be traveling this week to RT and NY Comic Con (see Item #4 in the last post for details). I usually promise to blog about the conventions I attend, and then I either don't or I do so inadequately, so this time I promise not to blog about them. Edited to Add: Which means I'll undoubtedly blog about them all week.

I hope to see you there!

Labels: appearances, Contests, good, vampire series

• posted by Jeri @ 12:11 PM
• 2 comments

The post with something for everyone

And you are...?

That's probably what you're thinking, since I haven't blogged (first I typed "blooged," which shows you how out of practice I am) in ten days. This morning I turned in the rewrite for The Reawakened (yes, you will cry buckets, but not until November) and found out I'll be getting the line edits back in ten days, before I've had time to forget what it's all about.

Line edits, basically, are when the editor gets a little more nitpicky than the first go-around (where he or she discusses major issues, such as character and plot and I dunno, maybe the fact that the manuscript is twenty-five thousand words too long, just as a fr'instance). The author makes changes as quickly as possible and sends back the manuscript so it can go to the copyeditor.

For both of my publishers, the line edits are done on paper, which means I write each change on the manuscript, and then the editor (or her lovely assistant) types in my changes. Some publishers are moving toward electronic edits, which I imagine involve Microsoft Word's comment and track changes functions (anyone with electronic edits, feel free to enlighten).

---

So, the latest updates:

1. There's one more day to enter the ARCs for charity contest. Please consider donating to the MS Walk. Even a fiver would help me make my fundraising goal and more important, help treat and one day cure this devastating disease.

2. The May issue of Romantic Times (on newsstands now!) has a feature on me and Wicked Game. My name is on the front cover 'n' everything. You can read an excerpt of RT's and other reviews on the Wicked Game home page. I won't post each review on my blog, because if I'm going to be self-aggrandizing (and oh yes, I plan to be), it should be in a less boring way than linking to reviews. Like linking to interviews, of which there shall be so many, I'll probably have to start lying just to keep everyone entertained.

3. WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll swag will be available very soon. As in, days.

4. I'll be at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention next week Tuesday through Saturday around 2. I'm on the Urban Fantasy 101 panel on Friday at 11am, with fellow authors Kelley Armstrong, Keri Arthur, Richelle Mead, and Jeanne C. Stein, as well as Paula Guran, editor of Juno Books. I'll also be signing copies of Eyes of Crow and Voice of Crow and sneak previews of Wicked Game at the Book Fair on Saturday from 11-2. If you see me at the convention (hint: try the bar), stop and ask for a "Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll" or "Feed the Need" button.

5. Then I'll be at the New York Comic Con on Sunday, April 20, signing pre-publication copies of Wicked Game at the Simon & Schuster booth from 12 to 1.

***This is the first time this novel will be available to the public, and it will be FREE!***

So if you want a free signed book, stop by the S&S booth as close to noon as possible, before we run out. I'll stick around until 1:00 and sign cover flats, your arm, or your forehead--or just to chat.

Speaking of the real book...here it is! They came in the mail yesterday.


That's Misha (Mikhail Kristanovich), galvanized by the greatness that is Wicked Game (or possibly by the guy honking his horn in the next door neighbors' driveway--geez, what is his deal? Just go to the door, for cryin' out loud!)

I think that's it for now. As you can tell, I'm a bit fried. Tomorrow I'm thrilled to be doing an interview with Fast Forward TV. Wish me luck, and a complete lack of stuttering stupidity!

Labels: appearances, Contests, craft, Eyes of Crow, good, vampire series, Voice of Crow

• posted by Jeri @ 5:12 PM
• 8 comments