So, the reason I've been silent here is that the work with NattiNatti was in the final stage (for me). It's not much left now. I'm really looking forward to seeing this book on the shelves, it's beautiful!

On top of that I've just started on full time in the store and everybody and their brother seem to have a wedding celebration, birthday, name giving or general get together that I just have to attend. I've cut back on some socializing but it's still a lot. Just that time of the year I suppose. And since I usually leave the festivities in high spirits it's worth it. But I haven't had time for the internet.

I went to Depeche Mode's concert in Copenhagen (oh gods! It's more than a week ago!) and it was great! They played all the important songs (ok, so the songs that was important to me) and the weather was fine and I got to see Dave Gahan even if he was a very small figure in the distance and... It was all good. I had my normal problems with the audience, that is 'the talking'. What is it with people and concerts? Why, oh why, do they have to discuss work, computers, girlfriends, last binge drinking experience, have lengthy retellings of other concerts with other bands they've seen? Dave Gahan is on stage NOW! This is why I don't normally go to concerts. They're full of people. Well, I changed place and stood next to five hard core fan-girls who jumped up and down and squeeled whatever they played. It was inspirational and rather cute.

I've also - finally - started work on the sequel of The Book Formerly Known as Udda, and it's all good. I love the feeling of fresh scenes, when you almost experience the scene while you write it. It's not always so, but often enough to keep me going. I need to have a rough draft ready by October so there's going to be a lot of writing and banging of heads later on.

This weekend has been all about rest and recuperation. I'm feeling rather wrung out and sleep a lot. I try to remedie it with pasta, chocolate and sci-fi series on tv. So far it's going well. Hopefully I'll manage to get some writing in when i meet up with the ladies of BU tomorrow and I'll try to get an early night so I'll be back to normal by Tuesday. 

I also hope that you all have had a wonderful couple of weeks and a great weekend!

First out last month was Santa Olivia by Jaqueline Carey, and I must say it's her best book to date! The language is addictive, fast paced even when there's no real action and the characters have depth and texture. I'm in love. So far it's only rivaled by P&P&Z for Read of the Year Award. It's only flaws consists of it being too short and that no book could live up to it afterward.
The story: After a flu epidemic the US cordon off a wide section of land against Mexico and in that cordon only soldiers' supposed to live. Of course some of the old towns people get left behind, what are the soldiers supposed to do otherwise? One of these towns, Santa Olivia, has a general with a taste for boxing. The prize for one of the locals if they manage to beat a soldier in the ring is two tickets to the States. In the panic during the epidemic some genetically altered soldiers manage to escape their compound and one of them leave a child behind in Santa Olivia. The book is her story. And it's a good one.

When I first heard of Santa Olivia I got told it would be a werewolf story. It wasn't. So I picked up the latest book about Kitty Norville instead, Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn. I think it was good, most of the Kitty books are, but I feel rather done and over the angle of Caring Werewolf Alfa Female. I want something bad and nitty gritty next time or I'm forced to think of this as a domestic werewolf series.

A while ago I got Going Postal by Terry Pratchett on audio and finally I got around to listening to it. I had all these preconceived notions about audio books but was delightfully proved wrong. It had all the benefits of a normal Pratchett book with the added spice of somebody doing the voices while you read. I was rather sad when it ended.

By now I was deep in the project of Nattinatti (a.k.a. Shiny Project) and I didn't feel I had the time to read anything. So I read a graphic novel instead (that's not really reading, is it? right?), Water Babyby Ross Campbell. I loved the Wet Moon series so this was a nice treat. Not set in Wet Moon but with the style of drawing that I've come to love and respect. Especially since it's drawn before his big-eye-phase.

The rest of the month has been devoted to the twelve stories of Nattinatti. I've written one myself, and there's stories by Christoffer Krämer, Johan Salomonsson, Karin Waller, Karin Tidbeck, Peter Hansson, Henrik Örnebring, Maria Bergius Krämer, Åsa Rembratt and Ola Sundin. They are beautifully illustrated and fun to read. I'm especially thankful that they've been fun to read since I've read every single one too many times by far. It will hit the stores by Christmas so be sure to check it out!

I totally forgot to put up the post I did about my marvelous Thursday with BU. Oh well, take it from me, it was splendid and I got a chance to brag about my book deal. Now that I've discussed the details with the publisher it feels more real. By June next year I'll be having my own book out in the stores. 

Anyway, I wanted to quote Neil Gaiman this morning: "Good morning, Universe. Looking good. I see the sun came up today as well. Big thumbs up on that one, great idea. I'll get out of bed then."
(And if he's sarcastic I try not to notice. I liked the morning chat with the Universe just as it was.)

Since I woke with the sun in my face this morning I've managed to edit two stories and realize that was what the day had to offer in terms of work. Now I have only play left! 
So this is how that feels. Huh. 

Coffee in the sun next? Or maybe a little writing for fun? Choices, choices.

 I totally forgot. I got a rejectionletter yesterday that said that they didn't believe my book was "worth publishing in book form." I assume they have this as some kind of standard letter because one of my friends got the same words on her letter. "In book form," what could they possibly mean? 

Anyway, I was on my way to meet one of the authors of Nattinatti and I just didn't have time to stop and think about it. Then today I had a long conversation with my publisher (that's right, not just my editor but my publisher! I still can't believe it!) where we talked about the deal, about the marketing, about when and how and what. I took notes like a good little author and when I read them to Sweetest later on he saw that I had used the back of the rejection letter for my notes. 

Heh.

I wrote to the other publisher to tell them my news. That I neither could nor would say no to an offer of publication. Especially not when all they've offered me since September is to, sooner or later, send me their notes, let me do a re-write, then maybe convince the acceptance group of my merits. 

Now I'm off to do the late night editing thing. Without the aid of candy or chocolate. The outcome is uncertain.

 I know that I've reached the end of a long period of writing madness when I find that the only candy in the house is:
- two packets of sweets I got for christmas one and a half year ago (Tutti frutti and Salta katten)
- one and a half packet of tic tac that's been left in a cupboard since the trip to China. Three and a half year ago.
- one canister of hand made single highland malt whisky fudge.

That's it. And I don't have time or energy enough to bake anything. If I want sugar for the soul I have to resort to theese. My soul is obviously in dire straits indeed. 

 I'm in the middle of the last push for the Shiny Project (also known under it's real name Natti natti) and the commas are hunting me. I find them, mull them over and then either keep or reject them. But they won't leave me alone. Too much comma hunting gives me headache, the anxiety over my pet rat (she's started to loose weight) gives me stomachache and I can't sleep when I get to bed at night. But I love it! I feel like I do something real with my, and others, writing for once. It's been too long.

I hope this will lead to more text and more work with texts because I can't accept that this won't be a part of my life. I go around all day, thinking about one sentence and how it should be, how it could be and what the different ways to use comma and period change the rhythm of the text. Not to mention that I found an interest in grammar that I just didn't know I had. I've written on feeling mostly but the years at University have changed that. Now I see the rules behind the text and they're rather beautiful. 

I just know that some of my friends are laughing at me right now. Yeah, so you were right, grammar is wonderful. Happy now? 

Well, that was my allotted time on the internet. Back to work lazy-pants!

 I'm in the middle of the last push for the Shiny Project (also known under it's real name Natti natti) and the commas are hunting me. I find them, mull them over and then either keep or reject them. But they won't leave me alone. Too much comma hunting gives me headache, the anxiety over my pet rat (she's started to loose weight) gives me stomachache and I can't sleep when I get to bed at night. But I love it! I feel like I do something real with my, and others, writing for once. It's been too long.

I hope this will lead to more text and more work with texts because I can't accept that this won't be a part of my life. I go around all day, thinking about one sentence and how it should be, how it could be and what the different ways to use comma and period change the rythm of the text. Not to mention that I found an interest in grammar that I just didn't know I had. I've written on feeling mostly but the years at University have changed that. Now I see the rules behind the text and they're rather beautiful. 

I just know that some of my friends are laughing at me right now. Yeah, so you were right, grammar is wonderful. Happy now? 

Well, that was my alotted time on the internet. Back to work lazy-pants!

I felt like I had a complete solstice celebration last friday and I didn't really need to repeat any of it. So instead we had a couple of friends over for dinner and a game instead. In true lovecraftian manner. A bit less tentacles than winter solstice but the food was good and the rpg was satisfyingly grand.

Now off to work and then home and back to the writing. This is the last week for the Shiny Project and I want it to be as beautiful as possible. Every comma in the right place and such.

 Oh, and the bumper sticker on the car?

"Tailgate me and roll for damage"

SO a gamer's car! I felt right at home.

As all such days this one started later than I usually prefer to start my days and I feel like I move through syrup. It's not an uncomfortable feeling, it's just that everything takes a little longer than usual.

We had a marvelous time yesterday and ticked off a lot of things from the list of Things-to-do-on-Midsummer's-Eve.
Dressing up - check (a cute sailor dress and a white cardigan)
Putting up the table out doors - check
Moving the table indoors due to rain - check
Herring for lunch - check
Singing with the herring - check
A shot of something strong with the herring (snaps) - check
Going for a swim (in rain or sunshine or at night) - check (in a lake this time, got in during rain, got out in weak sunlight)
Picking flowers - no, to busy trying to get warm again after the swim in the rain
Dressing the may pole - check (even if i watched more than anything)
Putting up the table out doors for fika (coffee, cake and cookies) - check
Having coffee in the sun - check
Eating too much cake - check (can be substituted with any kind of sweets)
Making a wreath of flowers for my hair - no, can't really remember the last time I did
Dancing around the pole - check
Singing while dancing - check
Moving the table indoors due to rain. Again. - check
Walking around in the rain with an umbrella, smelling the green and the earth and the rain - check
Eat sausages that were charred on the outside and cold on the inside - check 
Eat strawberries and cream - check
Playing games - check (this time a kind of singing game that I haven't played before since I can't hold a tone if my life depended on it and the only thing about songs that stick in my head are random bits of lyrics and music, usually not the lyric and music that goes together)
Staying up late - check

Things I didn't do - drink too much (I was the dedicated driver), get annoyed at people (it was a nice evening all the way through, could also be because nobody had too much to drink), sleep in a tent or other guest accommodations (since we were just an hour out of town and borrowed a car from a friend we could go home).

Now I'm going to get this day on the road and try to get some work done. But the weekend has been a good one already and nothing can change that.

 

So, my second favorite holiday is here - Midsummer's Eve! I'm dressing up in my sailor dress, will pack my bag with herring and strawberries and then we'll take the (borrowed) car out to the countryside. We're invited to celebrate with some friends and their families by a lake shore. If I've understood it correctly they do all the super traditional things, like dance around the may pole, but only for the kid's sake. I'm looking forward to that too! I have these vivid memories from my childhood of being dragged up to dance by my mother's friends and hating it. It's payback time. Of course I'll be slightly embarrassed by it but it's for a good cause.

We won't stay the night since I've got hold of a car. Around midnight we'll get in the car and drive further out in the countryside to find another midsummer's party and pick up a friend (the owner of the car as it happens) before we head back to town.

In other news - the children's book is coming along nicely. Half of the stories are done and half are on their way back for the last reading and correcting. The deadline has been tight but I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll manage without crying or shouting. Good things! So far it's only been fun. I like reading texts trying to find ways to make them better, be it correcting or feed-back on the endings or suggestions about the rhythm of the language. I can't wait to see it in print! 

Well, I can't sit here chatting. Got to go, Midsummer's Eve is waiting. Have a wonderful day everyone!

 Well, I've still got that soft feeling of being un-real. Or at least of my news to have been un-real. But no - I read the letter I wrote my BU directly after the call from the publisher and I ask Cap'n if it was for real and she was there and the letter was there so it must be real.

I'm getting published.

Wow. 

It'll sink in sooner or later, I'm sure. 

Yesterday the thick catalog of 'Autumn's Books 2009' dropped in to the store. That's the big book of books that show up twice a year, autumn and spring, (with two slimmer editions for the summer and the winter) and it's the catalog that everybody want to be in since the buyers at the different stores use it for their orders. In the front of the catalog there's a section devoted to debutantes' portraits. I usually read those with a lot of interest. Not in the authors as such (even if it's fun to read when it's a person you know, or know of, that gets published), no I read it for the fun of it. 

There's trends in how you should present yourself. There are trends in how you should look on your photo as well. I haven't really figured them all out but the sombre tone of 'I've always written stories' or the 'this story just wanted to be told' or some other thing that have been said so many times (and probably been true every time) that it's been turned into a cliche just by overuse. That is also true of the photo with the author resting his/her chin in his/her hand. Preferably in black and white.  

Now, I know fully well how hard it is to write a presentation of oneself. I wrote one for Udda when it got printed as a university book and I wrote one, much shorter, for Natti natti (the children's book I'm currently editing) and that one was hard as well. It doesn't seem easier to have a long text or even to have a short one (the one's in 'Autumn's Books 2009' are long, very long, and the one for Natti natti was 300 characters). It seems like a hard task all over.

Well, next autumn I'm going to have to write one of those presentations and I have to at least try to make it as un-cliche as possible. And that's the trouble with it all. I'm convinced that several of the authors presented in this year's edition of the catalog was trying not to sound as every preconceived notion of a writer, but still so many of them did. There's obviously a trap here somewhere. Is it that I won't be able to see what I've actually written? Is  it that I get a certain number of stereotypes that I have to fit in for the recognition factor? Is it that I'll be so full of myself by then that I'll actually believe I have a calling? 

Well, I wouldn't have given it much thought if it weren't for Cap'n. She wanted to know how I was going to portray myself and I couldn't stop thinking about it after that. So, here's what I think I'll do. I'm going to talk about the world where Udda lives, about the genre and how it get treated like an ugly, stupid and unwanted stepchild that has money to swindle off it but otherwise is garbage (Twilight/Harry Potter/Star Trek/Star Wars/Gaiman/Ajvide Lindqvist goes well, but do we see a rise in respectability for the genre? No.). Then I'm going to give a small peek into my past, and head, with a 'blah, blah, blah world domination'-kind of presentation. That ought to do it.

No, I'm serious. If I take away all the small talk and only keep the good parts with 'blah, blah' written in between I should minimize the risk of sounding like everybody else. Or of sounding sane. 

(Mostly so I will know where to find it later, and perhaps you find them pretty as well.)

The prettiest necklace around, with a small nightingale. And the only necklace watch worth the trouble, I mean it's a robot! Or a pretty, pretty little bag (you can never have too many of those) with an aeroplane on it.

But the tiny bird on a chain. Well, that was the best.

It seems like all this angst over publishers have finally come to an end. Last Wednesday I was contacted by means of a very short mail that said:

We would like to talk to you about your manuscript, would Friday at 16.45 suit you? 

And of course it did. Now I've been burned by this kind of thing before. I mean, one of Sweden's two largest publishing houses have called several times to 'discuss the manuscript' and it led to absolutely nothing. And since I didn't want to jinx it I didn't say anything here or anywhere else. (Yeah, one gets rather superstitious after a while with all this 'now your up for publishing - now you're not'-business.)

Anyway, Friday rolled around and I went to work (at ten o'clock) with stomach ache, and it didn't get any better.

Finally the editor in chief called. I had done my homework and everybody said that she was straight and sharp as a knife's edge and a no-nonsense-babe all over. So I was nervous and when she started the conversation with questions about what changes I'm prepared to do to my manuscript. 'Almost anything,' I said, 'except making it into a children's story.' Then she continued with a lot of praise for my story, for the flow and the language and the tension. She said she had a lot of comments about things that would benefit from changes but wouldn't talk about it in more specific terms. 

By now I was glad she called, but a bit stand off-ish since I've heard this for the last year from two other publishers and that hadn't gotten me anywhere. So I asked what it all meant. Specifically.

'Well,' she said, 'it means that we will work together towards publication of your novel.'
I had heard that before as well, and spent a year hoping for the actual work to begin. 'So,' I said, 'does that mean I promise to give my book to you and you promise to publish it?'
'Yeah,' she said, dry as paper, 'This is what's usually referred to as an acceptance call.'
And my face turned red and my knees turned weak.

At the end of the conversation I had to confirm it again. 'So, it's not a question of me changing the book and you THEN decide if you want it?'
'No, it's accepted now. The work happens after.'

So- I'm accepted! Udda will be a book (but under another title) by autumn 2010.

It hasn't been a month for reading, that's for sure. I've been writing and editing and giving a lot of TLC to several texts but as for proper reading- no not so much.

I started May as I left off in April, with Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh. That was the end of the borrowed books by her. I must say I'm fascinated by the world she's created. I like how she's constructed a world with several races, how they intermingle, how the history and how the darker sides of that history is allowed to play a part in the romance stories. What I don't like, and couldn't get over, is how everything is either 'female' or 'male'. There's never just 'curves' or 'muscles', it's always 'female curves' and 'manly muscles'. It get's rather tiresome. Reading romances I get even firmer in my belief that urban fantasy is the way to go. At the store we call urban fantasy with a kick-ass heroine and several love interests, not necessarily happy either, for fantzy and it feels good to have a term for it. I want my urban fantasy with some kind of romance in it but I get bored when I know for certain that they'll get each other. So I read fantzy instead.

The latest book by one of the best fantzy authors are The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong. Book two in her YA urban fantasy series. I like that it continues right where her first in the series ended, it feels like you just put it down for a minute and picked it up again for the next episode. Like a really good mini series on tv. Can't wait for number three.

Then I read Wet Moon 1 by Ross Campbell. I came at these books from number two and continued with three and four and not until now did I get my hands on number one. Well, I still like number two best. It's before Campbell decides that he want to go all manga on the eyes but after he got the characters right. Between one and two he changes how some of the characters look and what kind of style they have. I even feel like he change their way of talking. But it was good to read the beginning. I'd hoped for more about Cleo's high school days but that doesn't come until book two. Well book five will be out in August so it's not so long a wait. 

Rigt about here I got too much writing to do and I started reading A Madness of Angels by Katie Griffin but I still haven't finished it. I will, it's really good - like Neverwhere and Hellblazer but strange - but not right now. I promised myself not to read until I was ready with what I had to do for the Shiny Project and all the other obligations I've let myself get convinced to take on.

But then Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead landed in the store and all bets were off. I've waited for this book. I was so upset with Mead after the last one. It felt like one of those really predictable rom-coms where you know where the story is going all the time and you get angry at the protagonist for not seeing it. Even worse, there wasn't any comforting in the end. It ended just as bad as I as a reader predicted it would. And I was rather annoyed that a succubus wouldn't figure out how her man would react to that kind of behavior. She's supposed to be an expert on men after all. Of course there's always the line about how she never could've guessed that he would do something like that to her, but she makes men do it to their girlfriends all the time. I can't really see how she could be blind to the possibility given her ... talents.
Well, this book made up for it. Mead was back in her old shape again, it felt almost as good as the first of the series and I really look forward to the next one! There was a believable story with a lot of magic, some romantic complications and the return of one of my favorite characters. I still hold on to my prediction for the love interest to end all love interests, Carter, but I can't see Mead doing that in the near future and I can make do whth that other character in the mean time. 

And that was that. Four and a half. Not much really. 

Oh, and I've settled for a name for my own book. A name to use while I decide and while the publishers decide. It will henceforth be called - The Book Formerly Known as Udda. 

 Time to find another title. DAMN IT ALL! 

I'm going to bed now. With a good book - not named the same as my own - and will resume work on Shiny Project tomorrow. I'm too upset to do anything productive tonight. I would appologize for the lack of distance but I really was hoping to get to keep my title. I find I'm a bit more than slightly disappointed. A bit.

Damn, damn, damn. I liked my title. I really did. 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

 I'm in the middle of my list of things to do and every day has too few hours. I lost half of today due to a sick boss at work. But now, after an hour at home I have at least a grip on things. 

The Shiny Project is in full swing. 12 children's stories to work over and return to the authors (in a rinse and repeat-pattern until they are redy for print). Three are already in for their first reading, one is back for a second reading. On the 31st of May the rest will fill my in-box and it won't be fun to leave them for work on Monday. I will hear the siren song of editing all day! (Combined with the gloom cloud of too much backing up and stressing me out) They must be ready for print by the end of June. 

Saturday and Sunday will be lost to auntie's 50th birthday. We will be away over night and celebrate Mothers Day away as well. 

There's an essay competition over here that has deadline on the 15th of June and a short-story competition over here that ends the 20th of June. If any of you are interested. I'm dying to participate but I know how that'll work out. I'll write something, a beginning or some such, and then start to think about all the work I could do instead and get sidetracked. I'll end up frustrated and disappointed with myself and that'll ruin both the work and the fun. Not to mention the fun of working. 

and of course I haven't finished my school paper yet either....

So, back to the stories. The shiny, shiny stories! Only an hour left before it's time to do the LIndy Hop!

The fifth female bishop in the Church of Swedenhas been elected in the Diocese of Stockholm. Go, go, go Eva Brunne! Her personal views of marriage and love and the history behind the Bible are views I share. Congratulations to the Diocese of Stockholm!