Close to Finishing Shaman in Exile - one chapter left!

I'm doing 50/50 on my New Year's Resolutions, didn't fare too well with the attempts at becoming more social or in bringng my lunch to work instead of eating out, but did do much better on the others.
I am now one chapter away from finishing the first draft of Shaman in Exile, the follow up novel to my magical realism foray, Shaman Circus, which was published by ATTM Press one year ago this month.
I started Shaman in Exile in July of  2006, and lived part of those early months in New Hampshire so part of the novel takes place there, but it also wanders to France and then Folly Island, South Carolina, following the trail of Jacob La Querre, the voudou shaman. The book picks up with him a year or so after an accident in which he becomes partly disabled and has decided to leave the temple, his lover, and friends. The second novel incorporates more magical realism than the first and  its a good bit more free wheeling due to the fact its not tied to a large real event, but rather a series of smaller events.
I wrote Shaman Circus in 8 months. Shaman in Exile over 3 1/2 years.  I could never come up with an ending, because the earthquake in Haiti took place before I finished it and Jacob's family is from Haiti.  So I had to decide whether to incorporate the earthquake aftermath or not.  I realized, returning to Haiti would have to be another book.  There are too many complications with family, let alone the earthquake devastation or how Jacob would handle it. Jacob grew quiet for a while, couldn't tell me which way he wanted the book to go and so I started a other projects.
Now I'm glad I waited and didn't rush it.  It's working, and its another of those life lessons for writers to stand back from their book and let the characters tell their story.  This time, Jacob, Max, and Lily are doing the work.  I'm just a transcriptionist. At this point, the novel is running over 100,000 words and 59 chapters.  Not sure if that's how it will stay. 
Once It's finished, I plan to launch immediately into editing since there may be things that need changing due to the ending.

Rare White Christmas in S.C.

A fun Christmas with my family made more so by the snow, which was the first time for both my daughter and granddaughter to experience a white Christmas.  They found much delight in this, their best Christmas present as they celebrated by making a Santa Snowman complete with greenery scarf.  My son and I were old fuddy duddies and stayed indoors during the snow, having experienced white Christmas with snow measured in feet not inches before we moved from New England to South Carolina, but we watched with indulgence and recalled pleasures as Beth and Kendall maxed out on winter bliss.  My son celebrated in his way by skateboarding on Christmas day in a secret location not far from here (you tube video here for all old school skateboarders) and I indulged myself in the plethora of books I rec'd including. Wicked Plants,  a book of poisonous plants and The Disappearing Spoon (A view of life and the world thru the Periodic Table of Elements) Both are witty, hilarious and factual showing how oddly interconnected and affected we are by some of of oddest aspects of our planet. Both of these books are research for the three novels I have in progress.

This year was a mix of old and new traditions, lots of the foods our family always makes (and devours), and some interesting learning experiences.

One new tradition may have to be a trip to Nation's Bakery, one of the most awesome locally owned bakeries I've ever been to. My friend John took me there and it reminds me of bakeries you could only find in big cities. The Nation's in the title is just what it says. The owners hail from, NYC and make pastries from all over the world. Their creations are magnificent.  It reminds me of bakeries from the Italian neighborhoods in Boston or a little one Frank, Danny and I found in Atlanta.  The coffee and espresso are wonderful, the atmosphere is old olde world, not new trendy new old world and among the hundress of items they create, they make cream puff swans, a selection of cheesecakes (including a chocolate cheesecake with a pig on top) and lemon meringue pies where the meringue is at least a foot tall.
We ate until we were silly, roast beast on Christmas, and then indulged in books and movies. A perfect holiday!

Steampunk Fissure at Upstate Steampunk Extravaganza

As Shadow Archer Press made its first foray into the world of  con's (and my first time ever attending one)  I'm  so thrilled with the results and the response to Steampunk Fissure magazine. The first run of Steampunk Fissure sold out shortly after noon on Saturday. We're printing another run now.  Steampunk Fissure boasted six authors scattered across four writer's panels: Gypsey Teague (The Victoria X) and Matt Delman (Determining The Roots of Steampunk) were both featured in their own panels on Steampunk, K.G. McAbee co-chaired a panel with her writing partner, Cynthia D. Witherspoon (Airships, Submersibles, Difference Engines and Steam Men: Reading, Researching and Writing Steampunk.)  

In addition, Brian K. Ladd, Matt Delman, Shane McElveen and Maxwell Cyn, who all traveled at least two hours to appear: (Matthew from Boston, Mass., Brian from Durham, NC, Maxwell from Matthews, NC and Shane form Florence, SC) presented on the Authors and Publishers panel. What a feat for an indie magazine.  And I am so grateful they all agreed to participate.

We had a decent turnout at the Authors and Publishers panel and feedback has been coming in from the attendees.
Curtis Hart of Florence, SC said of authors panel, "It was the best writers' panel I've ever been to, and that includes those at Dragon Con."  
My dream for this panel was to offer writers a glimpse into how to write and how to get their steampunk works published.  I've been to writers' panels before and so often the authors on the panels only advertise their books.  While, it would have been more fair to our writers on the Authors and Publishers panel,to allow them to talk only about their works, my focus was to be provide information to writers so they could be proactive, leave the con and feel inspired to write and submit their works. This will not only offer individual writers the opportunity to share their steampunk concepts but also to support and grow steampunk literature as its own genre, one thing Gypsey has worked tirelessly within the library system to facilitate. 

My vision was answered from these panelists in ways I could not imagine.  They all had such different experiences, such wide ranging interests in both the literary world and steampunk in particular, different approaches to their writing styles, critique groups, submission approaches, working with editors and the world of publishing.
I could not have been more thrilled, except that we needed a lot more time (at least 90 minutes) to cover such far-reaching territory, but also I wish I'd thought of trying to get an indie film maker to video tape it and photograph it.  I don't think there are any photos of the panelists all together.  What a shame.
I was also able to meet Jim Cross, who did our amazing cover and some interior art and Brandon Cassidy who did the back page art and some of the interior art.
Matthew Delman was wise enough to pick up a indie film maker to videotape his "Determining Roots of Steampunk Panel" and they are now posted on You Tube. I recommend you read his blog and check out the videos.  They over a wealth of info on steampunk and the literary genre.  Author and panelist, Maxwell Cyn and attendee and screenwriter, Curtis Hart also wrote about the Authors and Publishers panel on their blogs.