Go, Moxie!

Thank you to Bruce and Laura of Rediscovered Books in Boise for a wonderful first book signing/book release party. (For those who weren't able to be there--it went very well, and I believe that most of the extra books ordered for the signing for both Val and me went out the door tonight.) I don't know how often an anthology author gets to do a book signing, especially for a print-on-demand book, so tonight meant a lot to me. Thank you for understanding how long I've waited for that moment.

Thanks also to Val, for being the awesome person you are and sharing your spotlight, and for mentioning the Moxie in your book dedication. And thanks as well to Stef, for all your helpful comments and support. Go Moxie, critique group extraordinaire.

Val, you surprised me when you talked about how much you liked my unpublished urban fantasy dragon story; I hadn't realized. Maybe I will have to submit it again, now.

I also wanted to say a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who showed up for this event, especially friends whom I hadn't seen in years. Your willingness to be there for Val and me speaks volumes about what friendship really means.

It was a great evening, and that's putting it too mildly.

The Myth of Singularity

Author Thom Rutledge talks about what he calls the myth of singularity, in which people believe that there is only one way to look at things. He points out that this narrow field of view is why we have so many wars and conflicts, when people assume that there is only one "right" way to view something, be that religion, politics or personal preferences. He also states his belief that human consciousness is multiple, not singular, in nature. This falls in with a question that I used to hear asked often years ago on a commercial aired during Saturday morning children's television programming: Why must we be one thing or another? Why can't we be one thing, and another?

Why, indeed?

This principle ties in with all facets of life, from our beliefs about the nature of the universe to our expectations of genre fiction. Interestingly enough, some of the authors who have succeeded beyond most people's highest expectations have been those whose work was originally so hard to classify, categorize, and stuff into a neat little box. These authors were not afraid to take risks, and they definitely weren't just writing to cater to current trends. These authors were often the ones who eventually went on to create their own wildly popular new genres and subgenres. They were the creators of the current trends. This goes beyond thinking outside the box. This is the process of bursting the box apart altogether.

Party Week

This Friday is the joint book release party for Val Roberts and me, at Rediscovered Books in Boise. Val will read from her science fiction romance, "Blade's Edge," and I will read a snippet from my short story, "The Truth One Sees" in Warrior Wisewoman 3. Activities kick off at 7 pm, and all are welcome.

As always, Amazon reviews of Warrior Wisewoman 3 are welcome. It's amazing how much difference a positive review can make, and it can really encourage people to try new authors and discover new favorites.

Free to Write Elfpunk

Long before I wrote for publication, I wrote for pleasure, for the sheer joy of it. I still write for the joy of it, but with the economy being what it is these days, there is always the pressure to hedge my bets, try to write to a market or the hope of a market. Yet I always come back to a certain truth--my truth. My truth is that if I don't care about something, I choose not to write about it. There are certain tropes and genres that I just don't care to write and never will, because they don't resonate with me. I have to feel my subject and engage with the material on an emotional and intuitive level, or the prose falls flat. While I'm sure this limits me in some respects, I find that it frees me in others. There is a great deal of freedom in the ability to choose what to write or not write, and not be bound by market trends.

I have heard of all sorts of trends in genre fiction to which I could try to write. Vampires, weres, steampunk, apocalyptic...you name it. But none of those work for me, really. I read some of them, but I don't write them.

My good friend and critique partner, Val, recently sent an amused comment to our Moxie group list: "Kathy, you write elfpunk! Who knew?" This was followed by a link to a definition of elfpunk as a subgenre.

So there you have it. Apparently, I write elfpunk. And if I ever actually did decide to write steampunk or apocalyptic, it would be bound to have Sidhe in it somewhere. It's just the way I roll, and there's a freedom in accepting that, too.

Book Release Party

I have the details of the joint book release party for Val and me.

It will be held on Sept. 24th at 7 pm, at Rediscovered Books on 8th Street in downtown Boise. We will both be signing books and reading a bit from our work, and who knows what other mayhem may ensue? If you're local or close by, stop in and see us!