Sense of Adventure

Thanks to everybody who turned out for the signing. I told you a good time would be had by all. And what do you know …?

I just had a big old boatload of fun Saturday at Page One. And as I said, I’m not even in the book. Although as it turned out I was called on to sign copies of various earlier Wild Cards books. And even one or two copies of Inside Straight, for people who apparently wanted to get as many WC authors’ autographs as possible.

We had a good turnout. I’d have to say at least a hundred people and probably more. We got a number of folks from ASFS, including the lovely and irrepressible Pat Rogers, Kevin Hewett, Craig Chrissinger, and Dawn Barela. Various WC authors not in the book appeared as well (so those who wanted as many signatures as possible kinda hit the jackpot), including Laura Mixon, Sage Walker, Gail Gerstner-Miller, Walter Jon Williams, and of course me, as well as Royce (Chip) Wideman and Parris, non-writers who contributed characters to the pantheon. To my pleased surprised a goodly contingent of non-Wild Cards NM authors also came out and supported us, including Pati Nagle and her husband Chris Crohn, Laura’s husband Steve Gould (whose movie Jumper comes out next week!), Robert Vardeman, Steve and Jan Stirling, and Jane Lindskold and her husband Jim Moore, Joan Spicci, and Ty and Jayné Franck. (Anyone I overlooked, please forgive me.)

What was coolest, though, as others in the group also noted, was how many faces we didn’t know. This wasn’t all just the Usual Suspects turning out, grateful as we all are to them for doing so. We got a lot of new people not just to attend, but to buy books. And that’s no bad thing.

The audience seemed to enjoy the presentation in advance of the signing proper. I did. When it was over a lengthy line formed for autographs. I had intended to come and listen to the opening show, then maybe take off. Instead I had such a great time hanging out and talking with people I never could tear myself away.

I also noticed that after the signing finally ended, and most of the regular public drifted away, the area Page One had set up in front of the signing tables with twenty or twenty-five chairs was mostly occupied by various NM SF writers talking to each other, reminding me once again what an incestuous community we are. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

As we packed up Caroline Spector asked the gentleman from Page One who’d run things - profuse apologies; I’ve spaced on his name - how many books sold. He said about seventy-five, plus some put on hold by people who weren’t able to make the signing. While that left a lot of copies out of the 200 they had on hand, he seemed thrilled. That’s pretty good sales for New Mexico. And it’s not as if those’re the only copies that’re going to get sold.

The Wild (Cards) Bunch and select others adjourned to a nearby Garduño’s Restaurant, where super-agent Kay McCauley threw us a swell reception. There, thanks to the kind offices of Melinda, I actually got to meet our editor from Tor, Patrick Nielsen Hayden. I also met a couple of Parris’ very nice friends from Ireland, Paul and Sally. Paul, as he puts it, swordfights for a living - being a notable re-enactor and movie stunt guy.

Laura got concerned because one of her adolescent daughters wasn’t answering her cell phone. Eventually the strayed lamb was heard from. I told Steve I didn’t reckon they’d have much trouble from young men wanting to date their daughters. All they need do, I said, was point to Steve and say: yes, Dad wrote a novel that got turned into a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. I mean, Samuel L. Jackson. That ought to cut down on the nonsense.

Of course, it also means the daughters will never actually have a date until they move to a different continent and change their names. But what’s that to parental peace of mind?

Many thanks are due to Page One, PNH, and Kay, all of whom did wonderfully well by us. Also Craig, who gave us a nice review in the previous Sunday’s Albuquerque Journal.

Parris said the whole get-together was “a lot like having the band back together.” John Miller said it was the best signing he’s ever participated in.

I tend to agree with both sentiments.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Tor Books’ official Wild Cards page has launched. It looks farkin’ great, and navigates well, which is all-important (too often “good” web design involves gloss interfering with usability, if not making navigation utterly impossible.)

I admit I’m less than enamored with use of Javascript pop-ups for images. But that’s a mere nerble. It’s a handsome job, and should become the indispensable go-to site on the Web for all things Wild Card.

None of the info I’ve provided on me or my characters (to date, Tripsie, his “friends,” and Mordecai Jones, the Harlem Hammer) has yet appeared. That’s no issue, as far as I’m concerned; obviously it makes sense for Tor - and us, for that matter - to concentrate on pimping the upcoming release, Inside Straight, due out January 22^nd. Don’t forget to pre-order your copy (and many more as presents for friends and loved ones, plus one to stash away in plastic for the benefit of future generations!) right here.

But wait - there’s more.

(more…)

Yep, the senses-shattering next volume of the illustrious Wild Cards saga has wrapped and is about to be delivered to Tor. It’s called Busted Flush. And unlike the soon-to-be-released Inside Straight, I most definitely am in this one.

Busted Flush is by way of being another mosaic novel - all the stories are intertwined. It’s a boatload of work for George, the editor, and Melinda, the co-editor (who also wrote the interstitial material tying it all together.) But it can produce a very nice effect.

My contribution marks the return of an old friend. But things are maybe not as they appear…

Reviews are coming in for the next Wild Cards volume, Inside Straight. Publishers Weekly, the big enchilada, gives us a good notice (scroll down. And down.) Jeremy at FantasyBookSpot rates it an 11 out of 10 (shades of Spinal Tap!), and Harriet Klausner’s Genre Go Round Reviews likes it too.

Meanwhile Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist out of Québec offers you a chance to win one of two autographed advance reading copies of Inside Straight, signed by George R. R. Martin, Daniel Abraham, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Carrie Vaughn, Michael Cassutt, Caroline Spector, John Joseph Miller, Ian Tregillis, and S. L. Farrell. Which is, well, everybody.

That’s right. I’m not in it. I chose to sit this one out. Don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out. You’ll enjoy Busted Flush a whole lot better if you read this first!

Anyway, congrats to the kids in the first book, and hooray for the triumphant return of Wild Cards! Look for it January 22, 2008.