First Sale of 2011: Beneath the Silent Bell, the Autumn Sky Turns to Spring

Woohoo! I just heard from the fabulous Jennifer Brozek that she’s buying my “Kiyohime” story–now titled “Beneath the Silent Bell, the Autumn Sky Turns to Spring”–for the DAW anthology Human for a Day.

First story sale of 2011!

I love deadlines. I wrote most of this one back in November, and then ended up stuck on a plot point. Meant to finish it over the holidays but I never get anything done then. (I don’t know why I keep thinking I will.) Next thing I knew, it’s the new year, the deadline’s snorting steam down my neck and striking fear in my heart, and poof, I stopped being stuck. I hadn’t worked my plot issue out, but I just started putting words down because I knew I had to, and miraculously, what I’d been spinning my gears on resolved itself. La.

Deadlines stress the heck out of me and wreak holy havoc on my sleep, but I am never so productive as when I’m sweating to meet a deadline.

December Lights Project: Holiday Gifts of Free Short Stories Throughout the Month of December

Received an email from the lovely and talented Stephanie Burgis inviting me to take part in a project she and her also-extremely-talented husband, Patrick Samphire, are putting together: the December Lights Project. It’s an online compilation of short stories to make you laugh, provide some warmth and good cheer, and generally make you feel good about the world, all for free, as a gift to readers this holiday season. Every story is guaranteed to have a happy ending, and several are already up—with new ones going up several times a week throughout the month.

“What a wonderful idea and a lovely sentiment,” thought I. So of course I told Steph to count me in. Stay tuned for an announcement of when my December Lights contribution goes up.

And herein a list of the writers who will be a part of December Lights: Continue reading

Returning My Sister’s Face E-book Due Nov. 25 and Locus Review of the Dragon and the Stars

Got an email from Vera of Norilana. Looks like we’re aiming for November 25th as the release date of Returning My Sister’s Face in e-book format. Just in time for Christmas shopping :).

Also saw that The Dragon and the Stars was reviewed in Locus by Gardner Dozois:

[T]he fact that all the stories draw upon “the rich cultural heritage of China” to tell stories of the fantastic makes it interesting, and gives us some milieus not commonly used, making almost all the stories worth reading…The best stories here are by Tony Pi, Emily Mah, Brenda Clough, Eugie Foster, Shelly Li, and Eric Choi

Finished the last zero draft editing pass on Taijiya and it’s now being first-readered by Matthew. Commencing nail biting.

And heard from the editor of the DAW anthology I was invited to submit to. Seems the publication date got bumped up by a month and therefore so did the deadline. I love deadlines, the way they stress me out and make me sweat. Sad thing, I actually mean that.

The Princess and the Golden Fish in Cricket

Just heard from my Cricket editor that “The Princess and the Golden Fish” is now slated for publication in the January through April, 2011, issues as a four-part serial. I knew it was going to be serialized, but I didn’t realize they were doing it in four parts.

I’m tickled, both to have a publication date for this story and because four parts means it gets that much more artwork. Hurray!