Talk in the Shadows

Market Night in Redlands

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:35 GMT

I love this time of year. There's an absolute orgy of colors and tastes and textures to be had at Market Night.

Tonight's post market menu:

Slices of fresh mozzarella surrounded by thick slices of ruby red and sunset colored heirloom tomatoes, sprinkled with chopped fresh basil and a little freshly ground pepper.

Lightly steamed carrots with a touch of honey and chopped fresh mint leaves.

Corn on the cob, fresh from the fields

Raspberries and chopped peaches with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.

All that, and a vase of pink stargazer lilies. I do love California.

And I wrote 1284 words today.

Today's Buddhist Thought

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:21:52 GMT

Don't forget to bring the good experiences of meditation into your daily activities. Instead of acting and reacting impulsively and following your thoughts and feelings here and there, watch your mind carefully, be aware, and try to deal skillfully with problems as they arise. If you can do this each day, your meditation will have been successful.

-Kathleen McDonald, "How to Meditate"

Thinking "skillfully", rather than reactively, is one of the most valuable things I've gotten out of this work so far. It doesn't always work, but more than it used to!

More on ComicCon

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:47:07 GMT

Please note: In a reverse of tradition, because the con closes at 7:00, the autograph session is before the panel, making it extra important you locate the autograph area in a timely fashion.

Autographing in the Comic-Con Autograph Area

SATURDAY, JULY 26 5:00-6:00 Playing God Table AA2

Panel:
SATURDAY, JULY 26 6:00-7:00 Playing God Room 5AB
(the actual length of your panel is really about 50-55 minutes)

Authors discuss their fantasy worlds: GOH Jim Butcher (Small Favor, The Dresden Files), Chris Evans (A Darkness Forged in Fire), Lynn Flewelling (Shadows Return), David Keck (In a Time of Treason), Jenna Rhodes (The Elven Ways) and Eldon Thompson (Asahiel, Shannara (screenplay))
Authors discuss creating the rules and deities of their fantasy worlds.

Jib Jab Does It Again

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:54:33 GMT

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Book Signings at Comic Con

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:22:18 GMT

Correction:

I'll be signing books on Friday, July 25, from 3:30 to 4:30, and again an hour before my panel late Saturday afternoon.

Today's Buddhist Thought: Ain't Gonna Study War No More

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:36:23 GMT

It is my belief that whereas the twentieth century has been a century of war and untold suffering, the twenty-first century should be one of peace and dialogue. As the continued advances in information technology make our world a truly global village, I believe there will come a time when war and armed conflict will be considered an outdated and obsolete method of settling differences among nations and communities.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

It is my personal belief that we have reached this point, if not in the way HH states. We don't seem to have wars anymore, just endless fights against enemies that no longer play by the rules of war. No uniform. No generals or officers on the field, no recognizable organization on the field, no Geneva Convention. Kill a few and more seep in where ever they want. In trying to strike against these ghostly raiders, civilian weddings are mistaken for combatants. Women and children are reduced to statistics of "acceptable risk." Soldiers are beheaded on camera. Our allies are shaky nascent governments with no authority and less power.

We can no longer meet the enemy on the honorable field of combat, if there ever was one. Instead, we have chaos, fear, and a struggle that will not end until everyone is dead or exhausted.

It's no use being the so called strongest nation in the world if the enemy is an amorphous entity, a pack of hounds snapping at the hamstrings of the bull.

The decisions and machinations of past generations have put us here. We aren't going to free ourselves doing the same old things. It's a new world and we need new methods. Bombing and shooting terrorists only produces more, like cutting the head off Hydra. (http://theochem.chem.rug.nl/resources/Mythica.html) Like Heracles, we have to find a better solution. I wish I could tell you what that is, but wiser heads than mine need to get to work.

Another Stolen Meme

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:29:10 GMT

This one swiped from suricattus

Write exactly what's on your mind and don't change anything. Feel free to play along!

I'm tired of:
Being mad at myself for various reasons.

I am listening to:
CNN (what can I say? It's morning)

Maybe I should:
Learn Spanish

I wish:
I was naturally thin

Chocolate is:
my enemy

I have lost my respect for:
John McCain

I last ate:
Sushi ('tis true, Suri)

The meaning of my display name is:
based on a shamanic vision I had. No, I'm not joking.

Right now I'm craving:
a bagel with raspberry cream cheese.

Someday:
I will achieve hardcover.

Love is:
The most valuable human emotion.

MySpace is:
Too confusing for me to do.

Today:
I have a headache.

Tomorrow:
We take Emma to the dog beach again.

I get annoyed:
when people chew with their mouths open.

Parties:
Are most fun when they are small and not loud.

QUESTIONS:

Is your cell phone right by you?
Not sure where it is, as usual.

Are you wearing chapstick?
No.

Are you tired?
Yes

Are you wearing pajamas?
Yes.

Are you mad?
No.

Are you upset?
No.

FOUR LASTS:

Last beverage?
Coffee.

Last phone call?
To my son.

Last time you cried?
A month ago, when I though my dog was dying.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVER...

Dated someone twice?
Yes.

Been cheated on?
No.

Lost someone close?
Yes, my dad.

3 Favorite Colors:
Rich dark red, green, and blue.

THIS MONTH HAVE YOU...

Made a new friend?
Yes.

Fallen out of love?
No.

Laughed until you almost cried?
No.

Is there something you want to tell someone right now?
No.

And story:

When I was young I used to sit on my bed with my chin on the window sill on summer evenings, feeling wistful because my friends next door were still outdoors, playing in the twilight.

Photo Contest Update

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:49:34 GMT

I have not received, or accidentally deleted the addresses of the following contest winners:

Best Costume: "Obsession" omi_tsukiyono

Honorable mentions:

"Window Seat Relaxation" Sabriel902

"Reading to the Otters at the Toronto Zoo" by bow_ryu

"Horse Reading" by Kaylen87

"Contest Entry" by dryas_caesium

"Alec and Helen" by miriade

"Medieval Atmosphere" by emily_dorkel

I know I got some of these, but there was a cleaning frenzy here last weekend and a certain someone accidentally "cleaned up" some of my papers, including some of the addresses I had printed out.

Remember this? Updated

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:42:14 GMT

http://otterdance.livejournal.com/205664.html

It is indeed the place that inspired Yhakobin's house. In reality it's the Getty Villa museum in Malibu. I didn't have a strong idea of what Y's house should look like until I happened to visit there. The layout is a little different, but things like the fountains, the inner garden, and overall style are there.

Just thought I'd share that. :-)

What the fashionable authors are wearing

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:05:01 GMT

My biking (as opposed to biker) jacket arrived yesterday and I'm trying very hard not to feel ridiculous wearing it.

It's made of a strong mesh fabric, has body armor in the shoulders and elbows, and spine protection and yellow is a highly visible color. Car drivers tend not to "see" motorcycles and scooters. When I'm riding, I'm glad I've got it. So I have the jacket, protective gloves, and a helmet. If I'm in a really terrible accident, only half of me will be left.

Incense

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:54:16 GMT

If you thought the incense at the Temple of Illior was more than just a pretty smell, you were right, and it was intentional.

Gleaned from abearius's LJ:

Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2008)Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm

Today's Buddhist Thought

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:14:31 GMT

In Buddhism, the source of moral authority is the causal law. Be kind, be just, be humane, be honest if you desire to crown your future. Dishonesty, cruelty, inhumanity will condemn you to a miserable fall.

-Soyen Shaku

Morning Haiku

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:15:41 GMT

My thoughts like water
so transparent and tranquil
the dragonflies skim.

"Font" Discussion Closed

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:24:30 GMT

Thanks to all who participated in the discussion of the effects of font. Some feelings were getting hurt, which was not my intention, so I've shut it down. I think we pretty well covered the bases, and I certainly learned a lot.

Lynn

Today's Buddhist Thoughts

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:59:08 GMT

Today I am a biker, or a scooterer, at least.

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:42:02 GMT

Are scooter drivers bikers? Is there another word?

OK, now I really get why people want scooters and motorcycles. The sound of the air whooshing through the vents in my helmet alone is worth it! And that was at 30 mph. Maybe if I don't get killed any time soon, I'll have to trade up!

My Next Author Photo

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:46:34 GMT

I have the bike. I have the permit. I have the helmet. I'm about to have the jacket. Now all I need is some courage.

2 Humans, 3 Dogs, 4th of July

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:47:55 GMT

With no family around for the holiday, I decided I wanted to go to the beach. The only other time we attempted to go to the beach on a holiday we tried to go to Malibu at midday, where there is what amounts to the Great Wall of China in the left lane of the Pacific Coast Highway, making it impossible to get across to a parking lot, where you wouldn't be able to find a space anyway.

So, we got up at 3:30am, packed up the dogs and drove over to the Huntington Dog Beach, south of LA. It was a grey and misty morn, there was plenty of parking, and just enough dogs and surfers to be sociable. It was the first time we've let Emma off the leash and we weren't quite sure what to expect but she is great, running in huge circles and figure 8's of joy and coming back when she's called. She likes other dogs, and their people, too. Except for darker skinned men in hats. That seems to be a constant. Some history there.

And I kept a promise to Molly, who loved the Atlantic, and let her get herself wet and sandy in the Pacific before she checks out. She also had a ball, and I kept having to drag her out of the surf when she tried to get out to swim. The shifting sand took her back legs out from under her and she couldn't get up, so I waded in time and again, jacked her up, and helped her back to dry land, though she was not especially appreciative. She still loves the water, where ever she can get into it. Emma liked the beach, but had fun outrunning the waves after they drenched her a few times. Bosco--- he goes along and likes to walk, but hates to be wet.

An added bonus was the great sea shell picking.

The morning's haul. I have no idea what they are specifically. Bivalves, mostly.

Joy!

More joy!

And more.

Me, in my beach gear, otherwise known as the least flattering outfit I own.

Quiet Joy.

The Old Dog and the Sea

Met Seregil's Dogs (if they were white)

The Ride Home

Home by 9:30, gardened til 11:00 and it got too hot. Chilling now until tonight's fireworks.

Dog School

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:18:31 GMT

Emma started obedience training last night. Doug took handling duty (I sprained a toe badly yesterday and wasn't up to standing) so I got to watch. It's as much about training the owners as the dogs. Doug was on the far side of the training circle, and I was sitting with the other non-handlers on some bleachers. Having done obedience with Molly years ago, I knew most of the commands, and had to bite my tongue, watching the handlers closest to me do so many things wrong!!

Emma is a lively, somewhat willful girl, but she responds and learns quickly. The most useful command so far seems to be "quit". The more I learn about chihuahua and beagle traits, the more I think it's a good thing we didn't know what parts Em's made of before we fell in love that day. ;-)

But she was a good girl in dog school and got to have a little vanilla ice cream in a cone on the way home.

One thing we've discovered is that she must have been either abused or roughly handled by some previous owner; if you shake out a dish towel or plastic bag she cowers. Even a loose end of the leash scares her. Poor girl. We're loving her back into shape.

She's still digging odd things out of odd places and leaving them scattered around. This morning it was a dessicated apple (where the hell did that come from?) and a Chapstick. It occurred to me yesterday that she can't distinguish between taking toys out of the toy basket (allowed) and taking things out of wastebaskets and other inappropriate receptacles.

New Art!

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:56:48 GMT

Some lovely new art in the Orëska Gallery, including some amazing renditions of a certain someone from Shadows Return.

http://www.sff.net/people/Lynn.Flewelling/gallery/g.s.main2008.html

Contest Winners!

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:02:43 GMT

Here are the winners if the 2008 Photo Contest.

For those of you who missed it, the point was to capture someone (or thing, apparently) reading my books somewhere.

The ten category winners receive a signed book and bookmark
The three Runners Up receive a signed cover flat and bookmark
The rest, Honorable Mentions all, receive a signed bookmark and a funny caption for their pic, by Yours Truly. (See below)

They were all great, and all winners! Thanks to all who participated. Winners, please send your mailing address to: otterdance2@roadrunner.com

1. Best Female Subject: “Sakura and Nightrunners” by Shinigami_deathscythe

2. Best Male Subject: “Mad Unicorn” by oloyolol

3. Best Use of Otter (and horrible, horrible pun!): “You Otter Read This Book” by composorlady

4. Best Use of Stuffed Animals “Otter and Dragon Are Fans, Too” by enicupac

5. Best Use of Real Animal: tie between:

“Alec Reading Nightrunner” by elnnesa

AND

“Where Are the Seedy Characters?” by xenith3456

6. Best Costume: “Obsession” by omi_tsukiyono_fan

7. Best Group Shot 2+ (people, animals, etc): “Reading By The Fountain” by asatomuraki

8. Best Facial Expression: “Fun on the Floor With Flewelling” by walker_of_the_shadow_path

9. Best Classic Pose-Female: “At the Beach With Tobin and Ki” by LadyRoy

10. Best Classic Pose-Male: “Reading Traitor’s Moon” by anthonyfournier

Runners Up:

1. “June” by martina.eden

2. “A Girl Can Dream” by wood_opal

3. “A Few of My Favorite Things” by michyo_seta

Honorable Mentions:

1. “Storytime” by mihakken

“And den de haaaaaaansum Sewiggil hit de bad, baaaaad Mardus wif his sword an’ aaaaaaaaalllll his bwod came out and splashyed in the wawer and Mardus said he was going to tell him’s mommy on Sewiggil and Sewiggil said ‘I don’t care. You’re just a big poop head.””

2. “Windowseat Relaxation” by sabriel902

“OK, it gets really good here—hush Cabbage Patch boy. No, this isn’t the end, they haven’t even—NO, bear pig thing, you can’t go to the bathroom—because you’re freakin’ STUFFED, that’s why! Look, do you guys want me to read this to you or not???!!!”

3. “Reading Aloud” by kagedtiger

“I’m scared!” whined Flappy, really scared even though he was the oldest of them all by thousands and thousands of years.
“Don’t worry,” Lucifer the Mid-Sized Penguin assured him. “See, right here . . . This word is e.s.c.a.p.e.d . . .” “
’Escape’!” crowed tiny Damien Emperor Penguin Chick, who was brighter than he looked, even though he did seem to favor Anne Bishop’s work.
“Did a penguin just crow?” asked Shadow Heartless the Cat, utterly baffled.

4. “Trevor Reads Luck In The Shadows” by cjhonghao

Lynn: “I’ve lived in Oregon. That’s not green paint on the walls and ceiling; it’s mildew. Or maybe algae.”

Trevor: “I’ll deal with it, OK? Just let me finish this chapter. Jeeeeeeze!”

Lynn: “The Banana Slug yellow accents do go nicely with it, though.”

Trevor: “If you don’t shut up and let me read I’m going to put you on the first banana slug outta here!”

(I am as surprised as you are, gentle readers. Trevor looks like such a nice young man!)

5. “No matter how many books I read, I always go back to Stalking Darkness” by deisaku_fanlisting

Can’t . . . move. Trappped under . . . . bookalanche. Getting . . . weaker. Air supply . . . nearly gone . Must dig out . . . Just one more . . . page . . . . . If I could just. . . . read faster . . . before. . . air runs . . . out. Damn you. . . . Lynn Flewelling . . . .Why . . . do you . . . write such . . . gripping . . . yarns . . . . Alec almost in . . . green light . . . naked men . . . . argggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh (silence falls)

6. “A Quiet Place To Read” by sura.ken86

Having overcome the foul necromancer and his pack of Warted Fart Wargs, the young nightrunner Hypochonzriel plucked a sprig of white lilac to sooth her senses and threw herself down in the shade of a nearby tree to read until the healer mage, Ban’dadia, could find her and bind her wounds. Unfortunately for Hypochonzriel, the tree she’d taken refuge beneath—out of all the hundreds of trees immediately available— was in fact a psychotic Ent off its medication. Alas, it ate her. The end.

7. “Garden Reading In A Favorite Skirt” by kk_akki

“The book was so wonderful she wanted to savor the final few chapters in the most conducive and soothing surroundings possible. She chose her outfit so carefully that day: a modest yet revealing top that let the sun kiss her alabaster shoulders, and her favorite flowered skirt, a well-worn friend on many a garden ramble. “And now,” she thought, “to find the perfect place!” Long and wistfully she wandered the familiar old garden, finding each familiar locale lovely and yet somehow not quite right. At last she spied a disused path that she’d never noticed before! “How perfect!” she cried. “Unknown territory to finish the unknown chapters!” And so she explored the winding path, discovering delight upon delight, and at last, the perfect tussock on which to curl up and lose herself that which is the magic of a Lynn Flewelling novel.

The tussock, unfortunately, was a fire ant hill. Cards and gifts can be sent care of Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows Hospital. The doctors say that the damage would have been minimal if only she’d worn jeans.

8. “At My Local Park” by kiaraangeli

(Couple in background)
“What’s she reading?”
“How should I know? Probably just a manga.”
“No, it’s too thick. And look at that ugly cover! Euuwww!”
“Who cares? She’s hot, though.”
**whack!**

9. “Reading Break At Work” by pissderseiji

“OK,” she finally admitted to the Grand Inquisitors when faced with the photographic evidence, in the aftermath of the cataclysmic battle that had left less than a tenth of the world’s population alive. “If I hadn’t been distracted by the narrative excellence of that damn Flewelling book, I might have noticed the alien parasite matrix in the cores samples that day . . . “

But Flewelling had been among the first to perish, ironically enough, and there was no one else left to shoulder the blame.

10. “Reading To The Otters [at the Toronto Zoo]” by bow_ryu

“Hey otters, there are otters in this book, eh? Wake up. Come on, wake up! Look, right here in chapter 14. You’re missing something reeeeeeallly good! Are you deaf? I’m talking to you! Where’s a rock? If I throw it right next to him . . . Oops. Ummmm, must be going now.”

Last words before being swarmed by angry, groggy otter with a lump on his head who climbed up her braid and bit her on the nose.

11. “Fangdorn + I Are Reading Traitor’s Moon” by myshella666

Fangdorn: “Do you have any idea how many people have brought me books with dragons in them? I mean, really. Just because I’m a dragon, do you honestly think that’s the only thing I’m interested in? How shallow do you think I am? Do you only read books with women in them? I can’t remember the last time anyone read me Shakespeare, or Danielle Steele, or even Lewis Carole, damn it! And why? No stinking dragons! Just once I’d like to be surprised, you know? A little T. S. Eliot; is that too much to ask???? Nice outfit, though.”

12. “Horse-Reading” by Kaylen87

Horse: “Hey, what am I, a couch? Two more minutes, lady, then I’m walking. Oh, and FYI? Sit in the middle! You’re breakin’ my withers!

(Sigh, as only a horse can sigh.)

“Could you at least read out loud? Any horses? There are! Cool! Hey I’m fine. Sit as long as you want. Read faster!”

13. “Troll On His Armchair” by tawariel

/I think that I shall never see another feline cool as me./
/Now I lay here decoratively, considering corners in which to pee./

“Oh, and if you try to touch this book one more time you’ll be eatin’ your soup with a metal hook.”

“Now, where was I? Something that rhymes with ‘pee’ . . .”

14. “Contest Entry” by dryas_caesium

Dog:

“I haven’t been fed in two days. I hope she finishes that book soon! Otherwise, I’m gonna eat her ear. Heh heh. I just gave her fleas!”

15. “Alec and Helen” by miriade

As the battle between the cats and stuffed animals raged for possession of Traitor’s Moon, poor Helen was the first to fall.

“I will avenge you,” cried Alec. “Right after I wash this foot.”

16. “Medieval Atmosphere” by emily_dorckel

So engrossed was she in a most excellent book called Stalking Darkness, Beka was completely oblivious to the fact that the entire turma had left without her.

Your book will be a collector's item

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:10:00 GMT

I spoke with my editor and she's informed me, much to my surprise, that the two errors that have been pointed out regarding Alec's father can be fixed. The name of the inn stays the same, but I need page number(s) for any erroneous mention of his death under torture. I've caught the one in the teaser so don't worry about that. Anything else I should tell her about?

Thanks!

Today's Buddhist Thought

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:39:57 GMT

This is why non-violence and not fighting wars is difficult for Westerners to comprehend.

Non-violence means dialogue, using our language, the human language. Dialogue means compromise; respecting each other’s rights; in the spirit of reconciliation there is a real solution to conflict and disagreement. There is no hundred percent winner, no hundred percent loser—not that way but half-and-half. That is the practical way, the only way.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Today's Blue Plate Spam Special

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:14:51 GMT

This one is elegant.

THIS IS FOR YOUR ATTENTION. I wish to notify you again
I must have missed the first one. Careless of me, whot?
that you were listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of £8,600,000.00GBP (Eight million Six hundred thousand british pounds)

Thank you for spelling out the amount. I'm not good with numbers. (Really, I'm not) Although my money exchange link tells me that that equals, in USD, hmmmm let's see, type in the . . . . after the decimal . . . . oops, not Euros . . . .

<8-O <---------- my own personal emoticon for "agog".

That's . . . $17,151,727.14 (Seventeen million, one hundred fifty one, seven hundred and twenty seven dollars and fourteen cents!)

in the codicil and last testament of the deceased.(Name now withheld since this is our second letter to you).

Alright already, I screwed up!

(Seventeen million, one hundred fifty one, seven hundred and twenty seven dollars and fourteen cents . . . No, I'm not going to fall for it!)

We contacted you because you bear the surname identity and therefore can present you the beneficiary to the inheritance.

Bear the surname . . . Ummm, spoiler alert?

We therefore reckoned that you can receive these funds as you are qualified by your name identity.

Whoo hooo! I reckon that sounds mighty fine. When do I go see Miss Haversham? Is she still in that ratty old wedding gown? How's she doing since the fire?

(Seventeen million, one hundred fifty one, seven hundred and twenty seven freakin' dollars and fourteen cents . . . NO!)

All the legal papers will be processed in your acceptance. In your acceptance of this deal,

I am rapidly sliding toward acceptance . . . seventeen million . . . No, get behind me, Mammon! Be strong Lynn! Your common sense has survived better spam than this.

(No it hasn't!!!! This is the best one ever!!!! . . . seventeen million, one hundred fifty . . . seven hundred and twenty seven dollars and fourteen cents . . . . Seventeen MILLION, one hundred fifty one, seven hundred and twenty seven dollars and fourteen CENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I request that you kindly forward to me your letter of acceptance; your current telephone and fax numbers and a forwarding address to enable us file necessary documents at our high court probate division for the release of this sum of money. If per adventure, you deem it fit to be part of this great promising venture, please indicate your interest via my personal email address: adamc_cole@XXXXX.hk Yours faithfully, Adams Coleman

This guy is good! I almost want to believe him! I'm picturing arriving by black carriage on a wild and windswept night at a grand but ill-kept once stately manse near a tarn on a moor. (For that kind of money, it damn well better have a tarn!) Lots night birds and foxes set the ambiance. A ghostly figure watches my approach at an upper window, in the wing where no one ever goes. The door of that room has been nailed shut ever since the beautiful only daughter of the last owner 100 years ago today was locked in there to starve to death because she was caught in the dairy room with the dairy maid practicing the love that dairy not speak its name . . . .

Damn, I could get a book out of this one!

I wonder what .hk is?

Otter at Large: San Diego Book Signing @Mysterious Galaxy

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:58:35 GMT

Mysterious Galaxy is a terrific independent bookstore, and a great place to have a book signing. I arrived early and was informed that the pre orders for signed books was the largest they'd ever had, and they were amazed at how many foreign customers there were. By the time it was all over I'd signed aroun 100 books. Not bad!

The crowd was large and asked great questions. What I thought would be a one hour event stretched to three hours and I had a great time talking to everyone. Special thanks to my hosts, Patrick and Sam. You made me feel very important. ;-) If anyone got a pic of me with them, please send me a copy. My cameraman goofed.

In addition to the presale books, I signed a stack of copies of Shadows Return for the store, which can be ordered through the Mysterious Galaxy link on my my website Supplies are limited!

Some pics, of course. I did not write down names, so apologies for applying my own descriptions. If you'd like to send me your name, I'll add them. :-)

The Throne of the Goddesss on High. That's store manager Patrick looking evil behind me.

Birthday Girl, Rebecca. She turned 17 that day and I was part of her present!

Lynn Among the Giants

Me with some friends from last year's ComicCon. The girl on the right showed up dressed as Duke Mardus, with a wonderful helm. She was one of the first people I'd seen dressed as one of my characters, and the first I got to see in person.