Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
A Triple Crown
Mario here:
What I'm reading:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
We have a winner...actually two of them. Make that three. A trio of Colorado Book Award winners.
In the category of Crime/Mystery: critique pal and drinking buddy, Warren Hammond, for KOP Killer--quite possibly the best literary shiv ever.
In the category of Genre Fiction: another writer friend and RMFW champion, Cindi Myers for The View from Here.
In the category of Creative Nonfiction: fellow Lighthouse instructor and all around fountain of writer knowledge, Harrison Candelaria Fletcher for Descanso for My Father: Fragments of a Life.
But as we like to say here at Biting-Edge headquarters, life is not all sunshine and chocolate. Last week, one of my favorite authors, Vince Flynn, passed away, a victim of cancer. He was 47. Flynn was a regular on The New York Times bestseller list and had achieved the kind of success all writers long for. I had met him years ago at the Men of Mystery convention in Irvine, CA. What I remember: he was very gracious, a little guarded, and quite tall. Vince, we will miss you.
Mario here:
What I'm reading:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.We have a winner...actually two of them. Make that three. A trio of Colorado Book Award winners.
In the category of Crime/Mystery: critique pal and drinking buddy, Warren Hammond, for KOP Killer--quite possibly the best literary shiv ever.In the category of Genre Fiction: another writer friend and RMFW champion, Cindi Myers for The View from Here.In the category of Creative Nonfiction: fellow Lighthouse instructor and all around fountain of writer knowledge, Harrison Candelaria Fletcher for Descanso for My Father: Fragments of a Life.But as we like to say here at Biting-Edge headquarters, life is not all sunshine and chocolate. Last week, one of my favorite authors, Vince Flynn, passed away, a victim of cancer. He was 47. Flynn was a regular on The New York Times bestseller list and had achieved the kind of success all writers long for. I had met him years ago at the Men of Mystery convention in Irvine, CA. What I remember: he was very gracious, a little guarded, and quite tall. Vince, we will miss you.
Labels: Cindi Myers, Colorado Book Awards, Lighthouse Writers, Vince Flynn, Warren Hammond
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 9:12 PM 3 comments
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Three Cheers. For Jon, Rudy, and Lit Fest.
Mario here:
What I'm reading: The Quick Red Fox by John D. MacDonald.
A huge grito to Rudy Ch. Garcia on being named a finalist in the Best Novel--Fantasy/Sci-Fi category of the 2013 International Latino Book Award for his novel, The Closet of Discarded Dreams. We'll raid the petty cash jar to grease the appropriate palms in his favor.
Lighthouse Writers Workshop presents its eighth annual Lit Fest & Book Fair, June 7-22, 2013. It's your chance to mingle with a fabulousbunch of booze hounds community of writers addicted to novels, poems, short fiction, memoirs, and screenplays. I'm teaching three craft seminars--You Had Me At Hello; The Longest Distance: Putting Your Ideas on the Pages; and Start with the Diamond: The Promise of a Great Novel. Plus I'm on a salon, Yes You Can: Writing in a Subjective World. Check out the catalog. See you there. I'll pour your first glass of wine.
Mario here:
What I'm reading: The Quick Red Fox by John D. MacDonald.
Thanks everybody for the outpouring of condolences regarding the passing of our good friend, Cort McMeel. He's already greatly missed and the mystery writing community has lost a valuable champion. Cort introduced me to many other inspiring writers, including Jon Bassoff, the editor at New Pulp Press. Bassoff has a novel of his own forthcoming this fall, Corrosion.
A huge grito to Rudy Ch. Garcia on being named a finalist in the Best Novel--Fantasy/Sci-Fi category of the 2013 International Latino Book Award for his novel, The Closet of Discarded Dreams. We'll raid the petty cash jar to grease the appropriate palms in his favor.Lighthouse Writers Workshop presents its eighth annual Lit Fest & Book Fair, June 7-22, 2013. It's your chance to mingle with a fabulous
Labels: John D.MacDonald, Jon Bassoff, Lighthouse Writers, Lit Fest, New Pulp Press, Rudy Ch. Garcia
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 8:58 PM 3 comments
Sunday, February 24, 2013
We discover "Discoverability"
Mario here:
What I'm reading this week: Ice Station by Matt Reilly.
Let me start by admitting a personal fault. Every time a gaggle of publishing experts confabs to lecture us writers what to do in this book business, my jaw clenches, my blood pressure kicks up a notch, and I start trolling gun websites for a good deal on a .357 magnum.
Over at the Writing on the Ether blog, there's a bunch of well-meaning (presumably) folks gassing on about "Discoverability," which is industry-speak for how do readers find your book? The article has a lot of links, most of which lead you to regurgitations of Twitter feeds. So even in this collection of eggheads you have to dig for meaningful (and understandable) information. Thankfully, Lou Edgerly, a media journalist (from here in Denver no less), provides this nugget:
"Physical bookstores are still the place where most books bought are discovered. 31 percent of discovery is physical bookseller. Recommendations account for 14 percent. 11 percent is digital discovery. Social networks account for less than 2 percent."
I don't know where Edgerly got his numbers but they jibe with what we've posted here before, more-or-less. He doesn't break down recommendations between word-of-mouth and those you'll get from reviewers or book sellers, and we've mentioned before that word-of-mouth is the strongest driver of "Discoverability." We won't argue that co-op advertising in the bookstore is definitely a huge factor in reaching the elusive reader (and buyer of your book). Interestingly, he repeats what we've said on a previous blog, that social media is way at the bottom.
The Writing on the Ether blog also feeds us this pronouncement: that 48 percent of book sales on Amazon are planned purchases. Previously, the theory was that readers were led by the nose by Jeff Bezo's algorithm-driven promotional schemes. Forty-eight percent is a significant number and this realization launched a rant about the need for us writers to connect with readers before they even get to Amazon. (As if our practice is to chase away readers with tear gas and cattle prods.) But it overlooks the obvious that the majority of book purchases (52%!) are made by readers browsing through Amazon. And there is where the Amazon-focused marketing ingredients like book covers, descriptions, and sales promotions come into play.
So what in the article gets my blood pumping and my fingers itching for the trigger? Because no where in the discussion does anyone ever say: If you want to make it big in this business, you need to write a good book. One that resonates with readers. The word-of-mouth thing. Every writer's blog, tweet, and YouTube video is done in the hopes that it'll go viral. But as any honest agent or editor will tell you, success in publishing depends as much on "and then God smiled" as it does anything else.
And now, for the good stuff.
Join us for the Apparatus fundraiser. 6PM, March 6, 2013, at Flatirons Coffee in Boulder, CO. Featuring readings in speculative fiction by Julie Kazimer, Jesse Bullington, John E, Stith, Brandon M. Herbert, and myself.
March 18, I start teaching my 4-week workshop, Writing Your First Mystery, at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Besides honing your story-telling skills, it's a great opportunity to join this truly awesome community of writers.
April 10, at the LoDo Tattered Cover, Seattle writer pal, Jennie Shortridge will host a book signing for her latest novel, Love Water Memory. We can't wait.
Mario here:
What I'm reading this week: Ice Station by Matt Reilly.
Let me start by admitting a personal fault. Every time a gaggle of publishing experts confabs to lecture us writers what to do in this book business, my jaw clenches, my blood pressure kicks up a notch, and I start trolling gun websites for a good deal on a .357 magnum.
Over at the Writing on the Ether blog, there's a bunch of well-meaning (presumably) folks gassing on about "Discoverability," which is industry-speak for how do readers find your book? The article has a lot of links, most of which lead you to regurgitations of Twitter feeds. So even in this collection of eggheads you have to dig for meaningful (and understandable) information. Thankfully, Lou Edgerly, a media journalist (from here in Denver no less), provides this nugget:
"Physical bookstores are still the place where most books bought are discovered. 31 percent of discovery is physical bookseller. Recommendations account for 14 percent. 11 percent is digital discovery. Social networks account for less than 2 percent."
I don't know where Edgerly got his numbers but they jibe with what we've posted here before, more-or-less. He doesn't break down recommendations between word-of-mouth and those you'll get from reviewers or book sellers, and we've mentioned before that word-of-mouth is the strongest driver of "Discoverability." We won't argue that co-op advertising in the bookstore is definitely a huge factor in reaching the elusive reader (and buyer of your book). Interestingly, he repeats what we've said on a previous blog, that social media is way at the bottom.
The Writing on the Ether blog also feeds us this pronouncement: that 48 percent of book sales on Amazon are planned purchases. Previously, the theory was that readers were led by the nose by Jeff Bezo's algorithm-driven promotional schemes. Forty-eight percent is a significant number and this realization launched a rant about the need for us writers to connect with readers before they even get to Amazon. (As if our practice is to chase away readers with tear gas and cattle prods.) But it overlooks the obvious that the majority of book purchases (52%!) are made by readers browsing through Amazon. And there is where the Amazon-focused marketing ingredients like book covers, descriptions, and sales promotions come into play.
So what in the article gets my blood pumping and my fingers itching for the trigger? Because no where in the discussion does anyone ever say: If you want to make it big in this business, you need to write a good book. One that resonates with readers. The word-of-mouth thing. Every writer's blog, tweet, and YouTube video is done in the hopes that it'll go viral. But as any honest agent or editor will tell you, success in publishing depends as much on "and then God smiled" as it does anything else.
And now, for the good stuff.
Join us for the Apparatus fundraiser. 6PM, March 6, 2013, at Flatirons Coffee in Boulder, CO. Featuring readings in speculative fiction by Julie Kazimer, Jesse Bullington, John E, Stith, Brandon M. Herbert, and myself.
March 18, I start teaching my 4-week workshop, Writing Your First Mystery, at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Besides honing your story-telling skills, it's a great opportunity to join this truly awesome community of writers.
April 10, at the LoDo Tattered Cover, Seattle writer pal, Jennie Shortridge will host a book signing for her latest novel, Love Water Memory. We can't wait.Labels: 357 magnum, Apparatus Publishing, Discoverability, Eros.com, Jennie Shortridge, Lighthouse Writers, Matt Reilly
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 7:50 PM 2 comments
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A champ, a chump, and a chippie
Mario here:
What I am reading: The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
I have to admit a desperate fight against the green-eyed monster when I
attended the Lighthouse Writer's Studio with Junot Diaz. What writer
doesn't dream of filling an auditorium with an audience who have paid
money to see him? As people crowded into the theater, I waited, stewing
in jealously, to find out just how good
Señor Diaz could be. His short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, African Voices, O. Henry Prize Stories, etc., etc., etc., His The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He teaches creative writing at M.I.T. (really? I thought the school was nothing but techie geeks.) Besides a boatload of the expected awards (Guggenheim, PEN/Malamud, etc., etc., etc.,) Diaz recently won a MacArthur Fellowship--the "Genius" award. I wanted to hate him!
After a gracious introduction by Lighthouse directors Michael Henry and Andrea Dupree, a subdued Diaz took the stage. He didn't bring anything to read from and asked the audience for a copy of his most recent book, This Is How You Lose Her. (I was one of the few among the hundreds without any of his books.)
Let's get past the foreplay.
Diaz was amazing. His reading was a model performance. It wasn't simply a reading but a theatrical presentation--plenty of eye contact with the audience, dramatic inflections, gestures with his book--nothing hammy, just a guy excited to tell you a story. What every author should do but we're too dense to learn how. His story knocked me flat with its voice, suspense, and humor. The man is a master of narrative immersion and plot twists. Afterwards, he dazzled us during the Q&A. At the end, I was no longer envious but inspired and humbled by his charm, smarts, and eloquence.
And now...for the 2012 Lisa Nowak award: Paula Broadwell.
You've no doubt heard plenty about the resignation by Gen. Petraeus for reasons of adultery. This torrid affair shoved the Biting-Edge Irony index into the red. And we writers love irony.
Irony One. Broadwell's adoration of Petraeus is what wrecked his career. His number one fan became his femme fatale.
Irony Two. Although we don't have mug shots of a disheveled and disgraced Broadwell (as with former astronaut Nowak), the otherwise perfect Broadwell morphing into psycho-bitch when she threatened another woman is what eventually brought the FBI into the picture.
Irony Three. Thanks to news leaks, we have the image of Broadwell and Petraeus' scholarly chats devolving into porn scenes with sex under the desk. Brown Chicken Brown Cow. Until now, the two of them could've been the gooder-than-good heroes in a Vince Flynn novel.
I'm sure that as we learn more, the ironies will continue to pile up like discarded undergarments.
But don't cry too hard for Ms. Broadwell. Like they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity, and Broadwell's adulatory bio of her four-star booty call, All In, is tearing it up on Amazon. But some snarky reviewers have dismissed the book as "A Valentine" and "Pillow Talk." Ouch!
What I am reading: The Yellow Birds by Kevin PowersSeñor Diaz could be. His short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, African Voices, O. Henry Prize Stories, etc., etc., etc., His The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He teaches creative writing at M.I.T. (really? I thought the school was nothing but techie geeks.) Besides a boatload of the expected awards (Guggenheim, PEN/Malamud, etc., etc., etc.,) Diaz recently won a MacArthur Fellowship--the "Genius" award. I wanted to hate him!
After a gracious introduction by Lighthouse directors Michael Henry and Andrea Dupree, a subdued Diaz took the stage. He didn't bring anything to read from and asked the audience for a copy of his most recent book, This Is How You Lose Her. (I was one of the few among the hundreds without any of his books.)
Let's get past the foreplay.
Diaz was amazing. His reading was a model performance. It wasn't simply a reading but a theatrical presentation--plenty of eye contact with the audience, dramatic inflections, gestures with his book--nothing hammy, just a guy excited to tell you a story. What every author should do but we're too dense to learn how. His story knocked me flat with its voice, suspense, and humor. The man is a master of narrative immersion and plot twists. Afterwards, he dazzled us during the Q&A. At the end, I was no longer envious but inspired and humbled by his charm, smarts, and eloquence.
And now...for the 2012 Lisa Nowak award: Paula Broadwell.
You've no doubt heard plenty about the resignation by Gen. Petraeus for reasons of adultery. This torrid affair shoved the Biting-Edge Irony index into the red. And we writers love irony.
Irony One. Broadwell's adoration of Petraeus is what wrecked his career. His number one fan became his femme fatale.
Irony Two. Although we don't have mug shots of a disheveled and disgraced Broadwell (as with former astronaut Nowak), the otherwise perfect Broadwell morphing into psycho-bitch when she threatened another woman is what eventually brought the FBI into the picture.
Irony Three. Thanks to news leaks, we have the image of Broadwell and Petraeus' scholarly chats devolving into porn scenes with sex under the desk. Brown Chicken Brown Cow. Until now, the two of them could've been the gooder-than-good heroes in a Vince Flynn novel.
I'm sure that as we learn more, the ironies will continue to pile up like discarded undergarments.
But don't cry too hard for Ms. Broadwell. Like they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity, and Broadwell's adulatory bio of her four-star booty call, All In, is tearing it up on Amazon. But some snarky reviewers have dismissed the book as "A Valentine" and "Pillow Talk." Ouch!
Labels: Broadwell, grinding glands, Junot Diaz, Lighthouse Writers, Petraeus
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 9:18 PM 4 comments
Sunday, June 03, 2012
The End of All Things
Mario here:
Actually, it's not the end of all things, just big uncomfortable changes for more institutions getting the Internet whammy. Some months ago I had posted that the Internet had really hit the sales of two businesses: map companies and porn.
Map Quest delivered the first body blow to Rand McNally, but it was Goggle Maps (who ironically enough, has almost driven Map Quest out of business) and iPhone apps that killed off the traditional map companies. Thompson Maps, those big city map books we used to lug around, has also been kicked into obsolescence by GPA devices and smart phone map apps. Similarly, why rent or buy porn when--as I've been told--you can get it for free via the Internet?
The next thing that's on the endangered list are those editor's proof marks we writers love so dearly.
What's happened is that most editing done today is on e-copies using track changes. Back in the Golden Age of writing, you used to send a paper copy of your manuscript to your editor, she would mark up your pages using the proof marks (once you understood them, it was like being in the special writers' club and you looked forward to fighting back with STET). Now with e-copies, you'd have to manually insert the proof marks as symbols, and it's just as easy to note the correction with a comment. Considering how fast a new crop of writers advances up the system, I suppose in three years remembering proof marks will identify you as one of the those dinosaurs who used dial-up modems and white-out.
Image from Getting Published blog.
It's time we pay our respects to the passing of the hardbound dictionary and thesaurus. I still have my copies and they wear their scotch tape repairs and dogeared edges like proud scars. But when you need help with a word, it's so much easier to goggle word definition or word synonym.
The next institution that's taking an Internet beatdown is the newspaper business. No surprise of course. Most cities have only one daily and some--such as New Orleans--not even that. Our chapter of the Mystery Writers of America meets in the Denver Press Club, a creaky vintage hangout, great place to soak up local history and booze. Like many American cities, Denver was home to several dailies and weeklies. But what's walking the plank are not just newspapers but newspaper reporters.
The press club displays caricatures of local news personalities and these cartoons reveal that it was once possible to have a career as a reporter. This meant newspaper readers had men and women with an institutional memory of the city and its politics and the means to say, "Here we go again," whenever politicians came up with a "new" harebrained scheme that didn't work the first time. And they had the means to peek under the rug of business and government obfuscation to show us who was doing what and why. We're expected to think that social media will fill the void, and the Internet has many things but sadly, no editors or ombudsmen. A friend's wife was a reporter and columnist at The Denver Post, and she states that time on the news beat has been replaced by driving traffic to Twitter and FB.
But there is much that is still thriving.
This week, you have THREE big chances to wear your literary duds.
Wednesday, June 6, critique pal, Warren the shank Hammond, signs and reads from his newest book, Kop Killer, 7:30PM at the Tattered Cover on Colfax. Kaye Lynne Booth shares her review in the Colorado Examiner.
In case you haven't heard, the next two weeks in Denver are all about LitFest at the Lighthouse Writers Workshops.
Tuesday, June 5, I'll be moderating and channeling snark at the LitFest Salon, Writing With a Gun to My Head, featuring Julie Kazimer and Jason Heller. Drinks are poured at 7:30PM, with the interview starting at 8PM. There is a charge of $30 for nonmembers, but if you belong to RMFW, MWA, or DASFA, you can get in at the member rate of $20. The price includes beverages and food.
Thursday, June 7, Salon: Literary vs. Genre Death Match, featuring Nick Arvin, Nic Brown, Robert Greer, and the great Connie Willis. The party starts at 7:30PM, Salon at 8PM, same pricing deal as above.
And...I've still got openings for a couple of classes during LitFest:
Scene and Sequel: The Building Blocks of Story
and
What was the Question? Keeping your story on track.
Actually, it's not the end of all things, just big uncomfortable changes for more institutions getting the Internet whammy. Some months ago I had posted that the Internet had really hit the sales of two businesses: map companies and porn.
Map Quest delivered the first body blow to Rand McNally, but it was Goggle Maps (who ironically enough, has almost driven Map Quest out of business) and iPhone apps that killed off the traditional map companies. Thompson Maps, those big city map books we used to lug around, has also been kicked into obsolescence by GPA devices and smart phone map apps. Similarly, why rent or buy porn when--as I've been told--you can get it for free via the Internet?
The next thing that's on the endangered list are those editor's proof marks we writers love so dearly.
What's happened is that most editing done today is on e-copies using track changes. Back in the Golden Age of writing, you used to send a paper copy of your manuscript to your editor, she would mark up your pages using the proof marks (once you understood them, it was like being in the special writers' club and you looked forward to fighting back with STET). Now with e-copies, you'd have to manually insert the proof marks as symbols, and it's just as easy to note the correction with a comment. Considering how fast a new crop of writers advances up the system, I suppose in three years remembering proof marks will identify you as one of the those dinosaurs who used dial-up modems and white-out.
Image from Getting Published blog.
It's time we pay our respects to the passing of the hardbound dictionary and thesaurus. I still have my copies and they wear their scotch tape repairs and dogeared edges like proud scars. But when you need help with a word, it's so much easier to goggle word definition or word synonym.
The next institution that's taking an Internet beatdown is the newspaper business. No surprise of course. Most cities have only one daily and some--such as New Orleans--not even that. Our chapter of the Mystery Writers of America meets in the Denver Press Club, a creaky vintage hangout, great place to soak up local history and booze. Like many American cities, Denver was home to several dailies and weeklies. But what's walking the plank are not just newspapers but newspaper reporters.
The press club displays caricatures of local news personalities and these cartoons reveal that it was once possible to have a career as a reporter. This meant newspaper readers had men and women with an institutional memory of the city and its politics and the means to say, "Here we go again," whenever politicians came up with a "new" harebrained scheme that didn't work the first time. And they had the means to peek under the rug of business and government obfuscation to show us who was doing what and why. We're expected to think that social media will fill the void, and the Internet has many things but sadly, no editors or ombudsmen. A friend's wife was a reporter and columnist at The Denver Post, and she states that time on the news beat has been replaced by driving traffic to Twitter and FB.
But there is much that is still thriving.
This week, you have THREE big chances to wear your literary duds.
Wednesday, June 6, critique pal, Warren the shank Hammond, signs and reads from his newest book, Kop Killer, 7:30PM at the Tattered Cover on Colfax. Kaye Lynne Booth shares her review in the Colorado Examiner. In case you haven't heard, the next two weeks in Denver are all about LitFest at the Lighthouse Writers Workshops.
Tuesday, June 5, I'll be moderating and channeling snark at the LitFest Salon, Writing With a Gun to My Head, featuring Julie Kazimer and Jason Heller. Drinks are poured at 7:30PM, with the interview starting at 8PM. There is a charge of $30 for nonmembers, but if you belong to RMFW, MWA, or DASFA, you can get in at the member rate of $20. The price includes beverages and food.
Thursday, June 7, Salon: Literary vs. Genre Death Match, featuring Nick Arvin, Nic Brown, Robert Greer, and the great Connie Willis. The party starts at 7:30PM, Salon at 8PM, same pricing deal as above.
And...I've still got openings for a couple of classes during LitFest:
Scene and Sequel: The Building Blocks of Story
and
What was the Question? Keeping your story on track.
Labels: apps, Denver Post, Lighthouse Writers, LitFest, maps, proof marks. Warren Hammond
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 9:40 PM 3 comments
Sunday, July 03, 2011
What wine goes best with weenies?
Mario here:
Happy Fourth everybody. Enjoy the fireworks, picnics, and friends. And booze. Drink responsibly...meaning: share generously with your local writers and artists. Being creative makes us thirsty.
Despite the long weekend, we're not slacking off a bit at the Biting-Edge world corporate headquarters. In fact, we're turning up the Pimpage Machine to promote:
1) Lighthouse Writers Workshop has a new home. The Milheim House at 1515 Race Street in the Mile High City. Real classy digs that'll make you feel all writerly just walking through the front door. (Don't know what happens if you enter through the back.) Can't wait to bust the locale's cherry with a literary Bacchanalia. Soon, very soon.
2) Our mystery writer pals, Shaun Kaufman and Colleen Collins, real life husband-wife PIs, have published an awesome how-to ebook for you wanna-be gumshoes, How to Write a Dick. Buy your copy here.
3) Drop by the signing, 7:30PM, this Wednesday, July 6, at the Tattered Cover on Colfax for the collection, An Elevated View, Colorado Writers on Writing. Fellow authors include Kathy Brandt, Laurie Wagner Buyer, Margaret Coel, Mara Purl, Joe Stone, and Susan Tweit. Edited by W.C. Jameson. I've contributed an essay, "Cowboy Up," where I share the ups and downs about being an ink-stained scribe to the Muse. Needless to say, the process has kept me humble.
Happy Fourth everybody. Enjoy the fireworks, picnics, and friends. And booze. Drink responsibly...meaning: share generously with your local writers and artists. Being creative makes us thirsty.
Despite the long weekend, we're not slacking off a bit at the Biting-Edge world corporate headquarters. In fact, we're turning up the Pimpage Machine to promote:
1) Lighthouse Writers Workshop has a new home. The Milheim House at 1515 Race Street in the Mile High City. Real classy digs that'll make you feel all writerly just walking through the front door. (Don't know what happens if you enter through the back.) Can't wait to bust the locale's cherry with a literary Bacchanalia. Soon, very soon.
2) Our mystery writer pals, Shaun Kaufman and Colleen Collins, real life husband-wife PIs, have published an awesome how-to ebook for you wanna-be gumshoes, How to Write a Dick. Buy your copy here.
3) Drop by the signing, 7:30PM, this Wednesday, July 6, at the Tattered Cover on Colfax for the collection, An Elevated View, Colorado Writers on Writing. Fellow authors include Kathy Brandt, Laurie Wagner Buyer, Margaret Coel, Mara Purl, Joe Stone, and Susan Tweit. Edited by W.C. Jameson. I've contributed an essay, "Cowboy Up," where I share the ups and downs about being an ink-stained scribe to the Muse. Needless to say, the process has kept me humble.
Labels: An Elevated View, Colleen Collins, Lighthouse Writers, Shaun Kaufman
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 4:12 PM 0 comments
Sunday, June 19, 2011
My two tribes
Mario here,
Father's Day makes me a little extra wistful for my old man and reflect on how different my life is versus the way his turned out. He died at 51, under circumstances that I'd rather explain in another blog.
A big difference is my circle of wonderful friends. I can't imagine my dad, or a man of his generation for that matter, having the web of informal acquaintances that I have, especially with women (no hanky-panky...really). It's not unusual for us--in groups or paired up--to have dinners, go to the movies, road trips, even indulge in somecrotch couch-surfing. And we talk about everything, mostly about stuff that during my father's time, would've been delivered in a plain brown wrapper.
It's a lifestyle (outwardly irreverent and pervy but inwardly, we all work our asses off--being a Bohemian ain't cheap) made possible because I'm blessed to live in Denver, where I've found my two tribes: Writers and Artists...who both happened to have hosted spectacular soirees this weekend.
My writer tribe--in the guise of the Lighthouse Lit Fest--convened in the
beautiful Montclair Civic Building (located way the hell out on east Colfax) for the Final Agent's Reception. Executive Director Michael Henry, in his snazzy linen suit, emceed the literary carousing.
<--one handed reading...erotica, no doubt
Harrison Candelaria Fletcher and Andrea Dupree kept the conversations smart and bubbly.
Anticipating that I might be drinking a bit (with so much free booze, who could resist?) I took the bus, the infamous 15L, a.k.a. the Colfax Ghetto Cruiser a.k.a. the Vomit Comet.
And then there's my artist tribe...
...who circled the ponies at The Art Salon's reception for The Bold and the Beautiful-Colorful Works by Wild Women. Geishas, koi, pretty birds, and a post-apocalyptic fruit bowl (for when your food feels scared and lonely).
Karma Points for writer pimpage! --> From Publishers Lunch:
Kevin Hearne's IRON DRUID urban fantasy trilogy set in Tempe, Arizona, featuring a rare book salesman, herb peddler, and 2,000 year old druid - the last of his kind - who has been on the run for over two millennia from a very angry ancient Celtic god; the first book HOUNDED primarily features the many Celtic gods; HEXED will focus on Coyote and the Bacchants; HAMMERED will be about a plot against Thor (everybody hates Thor), to Anne Clarke at Orbit UK, by Evan Goldfield at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (UK and Commonwealth).
Chuck Wendig's BLACKBIRDS, in which a woman is cursed with the ability to foresee how people will die, but without the ability to save them --until she foresees a death that forces her to try to change fate, and MOCKINGBIRDS, to Lee Harris at Angry Robot, by Stacia Decker at the Donald Maass Literary Agency (World English).
Not that I'm much on resolutions, but seeing as I'm always telling writers to read, read, read, I decided that it's best if I lead by example. So this week's offering is another splendid book by the amazing Sherman Alexie. First published in 2000, The Toughest Indian in the World is an anthology of Alexie's short fiction. As befitting the title, the works are one-two knockout punches, first a left with humor then a haymaker loaded with poignancy. He'll beat you senseless and you'll love the pounding. Now go read.
Father's Day makes me a little extra wistful for my old man and reflect on how different my life is versus the way his turned out. He died at 51, under circumstances that I'd rather explain in another blog.
A big difference is my circle of wonderful friends. I can't imagine my dad, or a man of his generation for that matter, having the web of informal acquaintances that I have, especially with women (no hanky-panky...really). It's not unusual for us--in groups or paired up--to have dinners, go to the movies, road trips, even indulge in some
It's a lifestyle (outwardly irreverent and pervy but inwardly, we all work our asses off--being a Bohemian ain't cheap) made possible because I'm blessed to live in Denver, where I've found my two tribes: Writers and Artists...who both happened to have hosted spectacular soirees this weekend.
My writer tribe--in the guise of the Lighthouse Lit Fest--convened in the
beautiful Montclair Civic Building (located way the hell out on east Colfax) for the Final Agent's Reception. Executive Director Michael Henry, in his snazzy linen suit, emceed the literary carousing.<--one handed reading...erotica, no doubt
Harrison Candelaria Fletcher and Andrea Dupree kept the conversations smart and bubbly.Anticipating that I might be drinking a bit (with so much free booze, who could resist?) I took the bus, the infamous 15L, a.k.a. the Colfax Ghetto Cruiser a.k.a. the Vomit Comet.
And then there's my artist tribe...
...who circled the ponies at The Art Salon's reception for The Bold and the Beautiful-Colorful Works by Wild Women. Geishas, koi, pretty birds, and a post-apocalyptic fruit bowl (for when your food feels scared and lonely).
Karma Points for writer pimpage! --> From Publishers Lunch:
Kevin Hearne's IRON DRUID urban fantasy trilogy set in Tempe, Arizona, featuring a rare book salesman, herb peddler, and 2,000 year old druid - the last of his kind - who has been on the run for over two millennia from a very angry ancient Celtic god; the first book HOUNDED primarily features the many Celtic gods; HEXED will focus on Coyote and the Bacchants; HAMMERED will be about a plot against Thor (everybody hates Thor), to Anne Clarke at Orbit UK, by Evan Goldfield at Jill Grinberg Literary Management (UK and Commonwealth).
Chuck Wendig's BLACKBIRDS, in which a woman is cursed with the ability to foresee how people will die, but without the ability to save them --until she foresees a death that forces her to try to change fate, and MOCKINGBIRDS, to Lee Harris at Angry Robot, by Stacia Decker at the Donald Maass Literary Agency (World English).
Not that I'm much on resolutions, but seeing as I'm always telling writers to read, read, read, I decided that it's best if I lead by example. So this week's offering is another splendid book by the amazing Sherman Alexie. First published in 2000, The Toughest Indian in the World is an anthology of Alexie's short fiction. As befitting the title, the works are one-two knockout punches, first a left with humor then a haymaker loaded with poignancy. He'll beat you senseless and you'll love the pounding. Now go read.
Labels: Art Salon, Chuck Wendig, Kevin Hearne, Lighthouse Writers, perviness, Sherman Alexie
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 3:04 PM 4 comments
Sunday, June 05, 2011
The Iron Druid, Rage, and what's on the other side of the Swamp
Mario here:
In case you haven't tuned into the grapevine lately, urban fantasy scribe and fellow Leaguer Kevin Hearne will be coming to Denver this week. Wednesday, June 8, he'll be signing at the Broadway Book Mall at 7:30PM. Hexed and Hounded have been getting great reviews. Drop by and learn about the awesomeness that inspired these outstanding covers.
Another Leaguer, the razor-sharp and erudite Jackie Morse Kessler, gives her response to a Wall Street Journal article that used her YA novel Rage as an example of modern teen literature that exploits youth self-injury and other adolescent destructive behavior. As expected with these hatchet jobs, the article took pieces of Kessler's narrative out of context and didn't bother to interview her about why she thought to address the issue of self-injury in the book. Kessler speaks of self-destructive behavior from personal experience and uses her novels as a forum to bring light on these issues.
If you want to meet other Denver area writers, stop by the Creative Connections Expo, this Thursday, June 9, 2-7PM, at the Colorado Community Church, 3651 S Colorado Blvd, Englewood, CO 80113. The event is sponsored by the Creative Connections trade show and the Denver Writers Meetup’s Writer Services Fair. And it's FREE!
Next Saturday, June 11, I'll be one of the featured authors at the RMFW Education Event: The Final Edit with Charlotte Cook of KOMENAR Publishing. The workshop will be at the Two Rivers Convention Center, 159 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO, 8AM-4PM. The other authors, Robin D Owens and Christine Goff, and I will be critiquing sample pages of attending writers. To enroll, contact Vickie Law: vruchhoeft@bresnan.net.
Besides doing yeoman duty for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, I've got a busy schedule with Lighthouse Writer's LitFest. This Tuesday, I'll be at Denver Civic Theater with the Salon: The Final Word--On Final Words, where a panel of most-excellent authors: Eleanor Brown: David Wroblewski; and William Haywood Henderson--plus me--will slice-and-dice writing that part of the novel way past the tricky beginning and the swamp in the middle...I mean, THE END. For more info, check out this posting on the League blog.
In case you haven't tuned into the grapevine lately, urban fantasy scribe and fellow Leaguer Kevin Hearne will be coming to Denver this week. Wednesday, June 8, he'll be signing at the Broadway Book Mall at 7:30PM. Hexed and Hounded have been getting great reviews. Drop by and learn about the awesomeness that inspired these outstanding covers.
Another Leaguer, the razor-sharp and erudite Jackie Morse Kessler, gives her response to a Wall Street Journal article that used her YA novel Rage as an example of modern teen literature that exploits youth self-injury and other adolescent destructive behavior. As expected with these hatchet jobs, the article took pieces of Kessler's narrative out of context and didn't bother to interview her about why she thought to address the issue of self-injury in the book. Kessler speaks of self-destructive behavior from personal experience and uses her novels as a forum to bring light on these issues.
If you want to meet other Denver area writers, stop by the Creative Connections Expo, this Thursday, June 9, 2-7PM, at the Colorado Community Church, 3651 S Colorado Blvd, Englewood, CO 80113. The event is sponsored by the Creative Connections trade show and the Denver Writers Meetup’s Writer Services Fair. And it's FREE!
Next Saturday, June 11, I'll be one of the featured authors at the RMFW Education Event: The Final Edit with Charlotte Cook of KOMENAR Publishing. The workshop will be at the Two Rivers Convention Center, 159 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO, 8AM-4PM. The other authors, Robin D Owens and Christine Goff, and I will be critiquing sample pages of attending writers. To enroll, contact Vickie Law: vruchhoeft@bresnan.net.
Besides doing yeoman duty for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, I've got a busy schedule with Lighthouse Writer's LitFest. This Tuesday, I'll be at Denver Civic Theater with the Salon: The Final Word--On Final Words, where a panel of most-excellent authors: Eleanor Brown: David Wroblewski; and William Haywood Henderson--plus me--will slice-and-dice writing that part of the novel way past the tricky beginning and the swamp in the middle...I mean, THE END. For more info, check out this posting on the League blog.Labels: Iron Druid, Kevin Hearne, Lighthouse Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 2:42 PM 5 comments
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Big Man and Big Money
Mario here:
Go Jackie!
Mario here:
We be pimping the awesome Baltimore expatriate, Cort McMeel. (Their loss, Denver's gain!) Don't let this pic fool you, McMeel is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. And he's plenty generous with beer money, which makes him a favorite here at the Biting-Edge around quitting time.
McMeel was the big man behind the acclaimed Murdaland mystery anthology. Short fiction noir at its darkest and most compelling. Now he's finally made it into the big league with his financial thriller, Short. Mark your calendars, as one of their Writer's Buzz presentations, Lighthouse Writers will host McMeel's book launch party, 7pm, Saturday, December 11 at 910 Arts, 910 Santa Fe Boulevard, Denver. Miss this and you might wake up on a pier wearing cement overshoes. Just saying.
There's no doubt this publishing business is CRAZY! Try and figure it out, I dare ya!
For example, the money. Hank Steinberg sold the screen rights, in the upper six figures, for a book that hasn't even been written. Likewise, Ernie Cline sold the screen rights for an unpublished debut novel, Ready Player One. And to further antagonize your green-eyed monster, 21 y.o. Paige Harbison sold her debut novel to Galgos Entertainment.
You won't have to read much between the lines to realize, that if you're going to schmooze, schmooze with people with Hollywood juice. Steinberg created the CBS show, Without a Trace. Cline already has screenwriter credentials. Harbison's mom has a movie of her own in the works with Galgos Entertainment, starring Halle Berry. Get the scoop here.
And we turn to the literary world's favorite punching bag, James I'm no sleazeoid Frey. Now he might be a man of questionable writing talent, but he is an expert of schmoozing his way into
big piles of money. He crashed and burned after the Million Little Pieces-Oprah fiasco. Then arose phoenix-like with the novel (and a huge advance) Bright Shiny Morning, which tanked. Recently, he's garnered even more notoriety with his publishing company Full Fathom Five and its infamous writing contract. Basically, you get paid $250 upfront to write a book, maybe another $250 upon completion, and maybe 40% of revenues generated by the work. But the real bacon for Frey is this clause: a $50,000 penalty if you the writer publicly admitted that you wrote for Full Fathom Five without permission. Why wouldn't Frey want you to tell the world about this deal? Besides the larcenous contract, what makes this even worse is that Frey recruited from students during his teaching gig at Columbia. He's teaching writing? Rather than guide his students around the perilous shoals of the writing biz, he takes full advantage of their desperate desire to get published and screws them with this offer. For details on the contract, read about it in the NY Mag.
But it's not always about the money. Sometimes, you get the most marvelous ego stroke like what happened to Leaguer pal, Jackie Morse Kessler, when Neil Gaiman had this photo taken with her book, Hunger.
Go Jackie!Labels: Cort McMeel, Hank Steinberg, Lighthouse Writers, Murdaland, Short
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 4:51 PM 2 comments
