In Which Gail Wants Your Thoughts on Future Blogs

music: QI

The polls are open! Opinions desired (and not just my own).

I'll be dropping down to just two blogs a week, or so, for a while, my dears. It's writing projects eating my life like the proverbial Scylla (I don't know what it says about me as an author that I imagine my novels as horrible sea monsters with six grisly heads, four eyes each and three rows of sharp teeth). Also, in March I go back on the road for conventions and such. I do apologize, Gentle Reader, but in an effort to better meet your needs as blog readers (and still manage my time) I have constructed the following poll in which I hope you will participate.

Poll #1711207 Blog of the Future Poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

I am primarily interested in . . .

Character Design Boards
Dear Lord Akeldama
Bits from Research on the Victorian Era
Publishing Industry and Writing as Business
Parasol Protectorate Minutia: foreign rights, audio book releases, new editions
Gail Minutia: signings, sightings
Convention Reports
Glimpses into Gail Closest /Thoughts Today's Fashions
Book & Movie Reviews
Interviews & Guest Blogs from Gail's Author Friends
Social Commentary & Rants on Everyday Life
Archaeology
I Don't Care, So Long As It's Steampunk.

But I don't mind a bit of

Character Design Boards
Dear Lord Akeldama
Bits from Research on the Victorian Era
Publishing Industry and Writing as Business
Parasol Protectorate Minutia: foreign rights, audio book releases, new editions
Gail Minutia: signings, sightings
Convention Reports
Glimpses into Gail Closest /Thoughts Today's Fashions
Book & Movie Reviews
Interviews & Guest Blogs from Gail's Author Friends
Social Commentary & Rants on Everyday Life
Archaeology
Ladybugs, Octopodes, & Hedgehogs, Oh My!
Tea!
I'm bored with this poll already

I'd rather not read

Character Design Boards
Dear Lord Akeldama
Bits from Research on the Victorian Era
Publishing Industry and Writing as Business
Parasol Protectorate Minutia: foreign rights, audio book releases, new editions
Gail Minutia: signings, sightings
Convention Reports
Glimpses into Gail Closest /Thoughts Today's Fashions
Book & Movie Reviews
Interviews & Guest Blogs from Gail's Author Friends
Social Commentary & Rants on Everyday Life
Archaeology
Anything more about Tea!
What's with all the octopuses?
Wait, I'm mean to read this blog? I'd rather just look at pictures.

Comments welcome.

Your moment of parasol . . .


Gail's Daily Dose
Your Infusion of Cute:

Your Tisane of Smart:
Pop-up Tea Rooms and art and community-building project in England.
Your Writerly Tinctures:
A sort of ode to Borders.

Timeless: Clomp, clomp, comp.
Secret Project F: We're waiting. We're waiting.


BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!
Some dream casting for Soulless from a fan.

Quote of the Day:
"Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one."
~ Oscar Wilde

Ketchup Blog: Orbit Podcast, RT, LA Tea, Russia, Sweden

LiveJournal has been not working for me recently, Gentle Reader, either because of my computer's age, or because it has finally been overloaded with spambots, or just because. Also I have had a very busy week. My apologies for the light blogging and web presence. Pesky things like novel writing, shopping, and gossip with friends keep interfering. I do hope you will forgive me.

Orbit has launched it's own podcast. Let's hope it doesn't go the way of Harliquin's and Tor's and all the other publisher podcast fade to black.

The RT press release. And a reminder, if you are going and hoping to see me there, the only two days I can guarantee I will be in attendance are Wednesday and Thursday.

Donna and I have decided to add 10 more tickets to the Pasadena Tea. So if you missed it the first time around, now is your time! We determined I could project my voice if needed. However, I think even these may all be sold out. Can I say how excited I am about this event? I consider it a pilot program, if it goes well, I'd like to do most of my events in a similar manner ~ so much more civilized, wouldn't you say?

And the Parasol Protectorate books have now sold to Russia and Sweden! Russia will be bring out the first hardback editions, in Russian of course, but still! Oh, I must remember to tell my girls! (My two best friends in graduate school were Russian and Kazak.)

Your moment of parasol . . .


Gail's Daily Dose
Your Infusion of Cute:
Runway steampunk
Your Tisane of Smart:
The Old Foodie talks eating aboard ship in 1860.
Your Writerly Tinctures:
The Steampunk Scholar on Steampunk Erotica

Timeless: Clomp, clomp, comp.
Secret Project F: We're waiting. We're waiting.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Steampunk Reviewsays of Soulless, "Now that was just pure unadulterated fun. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish."

Quote of the Day:
"He that would travel much, should eat little."
~ Benjamin Franklin

P.S. Like the face lift for the bottom section?

Dear Lord Akeldama: The 2011 Edition, Part Three

More from Lord Akeldama!

Nina asks:
Who’s your favorite shoe designer?
Oh, what a delightful question! Right now I am most enamored of that charming Mr. McQueen fellow, but this is subject to change without notice (as is often the case with fashion).

Antonia asks:
Which great actor/actress would you have turned into a vampire if you had the chance?
Oh dear, there are so very many sweet young things to choose from. These days I find myself thinking in terms of the benefits to posterity. I'm getting soft in my old age. Not an actor per-say, but what world couldn't use more of that charming gentleman, Mr. Oscar Wilde?

Llehn asks:
What attire would you never be caught dead in (um, no pun intended)
Darling I will never understand the propensity for all black, it's terribly terribly depressing. And poly-fleece, such a gauche modern affectation, I can hardly even speak of such an abomination.

Fredamans asks:
Of all the books and trinkets you have appeared on, which is your favorite and why?
I would refrain from pointing this out, under most ordinary circumstances, but you did ask. My creator has been most remiss in not insisting that I be on the cover of any of her books. Until that time, I do not have a favorite.

More from Lord Akeldama in a few weeks.

Your moment of parasol . . .


Gail's Daily Dose
Your Infusion of Cute:
Runway Daily has some adorable retro inspired dresses all under $100. I think you could also take inspiration from these and find some great thrift store dresses shorten the shirts and remove sleeves and get something similar.
Your Tisane of Smart:
Steampunk Octopus
Your Writerly Tinctures:
A cute little story about the power of social media

Nightlife Books says, "Finally I have to say that this is the first novel I have read that has made me prefer werewolves over vampires, and that is a rather hard thing to accomplish. Well done Ms. Carriger.
SPOILER ALERT!
Even bigger SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first.
Available for preorder on Amazon and yet again with the SPOILER ALERT.
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded.
The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2.

Timeless: Clomp, clomp, comp.
Secret Project F: We're waiting. We're waiting.
CAKE in Space: Trunked.

Quote of the Day:
"The only way a woman can ever reform a man is by boring him so completely that he loses all possible interest in life."
~ Oscar Wilde

Recent Loot of the Clothing Variety

Went out thrifting yesterday, Gentle Reader. No good reason except my favorite Italian Pastry place is closing its doors for good and I needed cheering up. I was definitely being called for I found some truly lovely things all for events coming up this year.

Lovely pink cotton wrap style dress, very Marilyn Munroe. Fits like a dream but needed some strap fixing, I had to add lace to widen them slightly. Very nice breathable cotton so I am thinking New Orleans in the hot humid summer . . . so ALA or Books a Million may see me in this dress with peep toes and my favorite Mad Man inspired hat.

Then I found this lovely little blue number. I know it looked terribly 80s to start, but I took out the front panel, and ripped off all that horrible lace, and replaced the buttons with vintage ones, and voila super lovely washable 40's style. I'm thinking it will look beautiful with the mod white and blue velvet trim hat and my little white pumps. Since it feels like it has some librarian overtones, Literary Orange is just the place for this number.

But the real score was this amazing late 60s crazy pink beauty. It was on the dummy at the shop but it looked like it might fit, so how could I resist? Just look at the bow details, and the train! I know it's loud and outrageous but it fit me perfectly (and not a lot does) so I just couldn't resist. I've contemplated shortening the skirt, but I just couldn't bare to. If I find I'm not wearing it all that much I might later. It's crying out for a super crazy hat, but until then I think the Mad Men one will have to do. Can you guess where I intend to wear such a creature? Oh yes, Tea in LA my dears, who else could withstand such pink outside of Miami?

I also got myself a cute slip and new vintage inspired bathing costume. And all that for under $30. I do love my little local thrift store.

Your moment of parasol . . .


Gail's Daily Dose
Your Infusion of Cute:
The Little White Dress replaces the little black dress.
Your Tisane of Smart:

Your Writerly Tinctures:
Not unexpectedly, as Publisher's Lunch reports, "Borders formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Manhattan Federal Court, listing total debt of $1.29 billion and supposed assets of $1.275 billion. Among the top 30 unsecured creditors listed in the filing, book publishers and distributors are owed roughly $230 million." And "The company says they had 642 stores open as of January 29. In their press release, they say they expect to close "approximately 30 percent" of those stores, or roughly 200 locations, "in the next several weeks." It looks like my favorite isn't up for the chop. Here is a list courtesy of Anton Strout.


Soulless makes a top ten debut list. "Soulless was awesome. Funny, sexy, and different in a very good way, Gail Carriger's mash-up of steampunk and paranormal romance worked better than you'd think."
SPOILER ALERT!

Even bigger SPOILER ALERT! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first.

Available for preorder on Amazon and yet again with the SPOILER ALERT.
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded.
The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2.

Timeless: Clomp, clomp, comp.
Secret Project F: We're waiting. We're waiting.
CAKE in Space: Trunked.

Quote of the Day:
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."
~ Oscar Wilde