Hello there, little girl...

Locus Online has posted an excerpt of the interview from the most recent issue of Locus the print magazine. Until it went online, I hadn’t noticed that in the picture they used for me I look like I’m smiling for my Neighborhood Pedophile Registration photo.

If you read the excerpt, you may notice that I refer to my next book as Oh You Pretty Things. That’s a lie. After we did that interview, I got a call from my editor saying that the people at Random House didn’t much like that title, and could I think of anything else? After polling friends and neighbors — which is just the kind of thing that can get you on that registration list — we came up with The Devil’s Alphabet.

I still like the original title better. How could I not? It’s like trying to rename a dog after it’s been living in your house a couple years. So Pretty Things is still my secret name for it. And that’s the name it still responds to when I call it in from the back yard. Who’s a good book? Who’s a pretty thing? You are! Yes you are!

But I did get some great news about the next book–Greg Ruth is returning to do the cover, and I’ve already seen some sample sketches that are exceedingly cool. I love the way he thinks. Also, Deanna Hoak will be returning as copy editor. She’s stellar, and stopped me from looking stupid throughout Pandemonium. So, we’re getting the band back together. Very Blues Brothers.

In other news that I meant to share earlier:

Kel Munger of the Sacramento News Review put Pandemonium on his Books I Stayed Up For in 2008 list.

Mark W. Tiedemann–SF writer, friend, and fellow Clarion classmate back in ’88– reviewed Pandemonium in his column in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch.

Last, the Sacking of Hack — also known as the book signing in at the New Jersey B&N — was a HUGE SUCCESS.

From right to left: Me, Sam Butler, Barbara Campbell, Patricia Bray, Joshua Palmatier, and an unnamed B&N customer who -- I am not making this up -- jumped into this picture when she saw someone lift a camera.

Okay, maybe not so huge. At all. I sold a whopping 9 books, and 3 of them were to writers at the table with me. Which means that after driving 4 hours each way, spending the cash on gas, and buying lunch and dinner, I made approximately $8.82.  Oh wait– I also bought a copy of Sam’s book. Which means that — let me check — yes, I’m $124 in the hole.

Maybe I should rethink this book signing thing.

On the other hand, I got to hang out with my friends Sam and Josh, got to meet Tricia Bray and Barbara Campbell, and shake hands with a few readers.  Like that guy just over my left shoulder — that’s James. He came to B&N to work on his fantasy novel that day, and stumbled into our little signing. The person he’s talking to, partially visible between Sam and Barbara’s heads, is Kathy Bieschke, AKA the Missus. She didn’t tell James that she’s a psychologist, because that can make people nervous.