Well, it started maybe not so well – with a traffic jam followed by a long overdue mammogram (squash) and ultrasound (squish). Perked up a lot at lunch with several friends who work for the Malaysian Nature Society, then was dampened down by their reports on the Various Strange Ways Authority Try to Wriggle Out of Taking Care of Our Mutual Environment, because Immediate Money is More Important than Longterm Economic Benefits and Health.
More traffic jams, then spent the afternoon with a very dear friend from University days who is recuperating from knee surgery.
Then, home again:
Editor emails me with the finished cover of the Oz version of Book One of The Watergivers trilogy, The Last Stormlord. (And here’s a tiny tantalising bit for you to look at on this post. Artwork by the very talented winner of the Best Fantasy Artist for two years in a row, 2007 and 2008, Vincent Chong. Aren’t I the lucky one!).
Then:
Agent tells me she thinks Book 2, Stormlord Rising, is the best book I have ever written. Wow. Double wow, in fact, especially as it is the middle book of a trilogy, usually a tough one to get right. Triple wow, because she has high standards.
Then:
She adds that I have an offer for translation rights for The Isles of Glory in yet another language (so far it is out in English, Russian and French). Fingers crossed that goes through. Yay. And I wrote the first book of this trilogy back in 1990, so it is really nice to know that it is still relevant and has not dated!
So there you are, apart from the squash and the squish, this was a pretty good day!
Congratulations on the good bits and, having just had my first mammogram ever, I really don't think the squash bits were that bad were they?
Been thinking about writers who "play" in other writer's worlds. I wondered does the original author mind and do they get royalties for it, do you know?
Glenda: great news! Now the pressure is on for the third book though 🙂
Jo: It depends on the writer. Some openly solicit other writers for 'shared worlds', others are very protective. Some do both.
Oh yes the squash. Much sympathy but your agent's comments must have eased the pain.
Jo: You're lucky because mammograms are really painful for those with either very small or very large fronts.
Thanks Hendo.
Imagine Me – I was terrified to have a mammogram for years because I had heard it was painful. I needed to practice by shutting my boob in a fridge door or laying on the ground and allowing someone to run over it. Finally my doc insisted – I hardly slept the night before. I am considered to be WELL endowed and I didn't find it a bit painful – I was shocked. Everyone I have spoken to since said "well of course not, we told you".
I found them quite painful when I had the first one done, must be more than 30 years ago now. I think they have perfected the machines and technology since then.
However, I found this one painful – not actually because of the squashing, but because of the contortionist position played havoc with my arthritis. But it's hardly a long process these days, so no real complaints.
Never mind the squishes and the squashes: the rest makes it all worthwhile:-) Congrats on the well-earned praise and the translation prospect!
Hi, Glenda! First time reader. I happened to catch your comment to Justine Labalastier's blog today and wanted to drop in on you as well. I'm also the mother of a beautiful Chinese daughter. She happens to have a condition called Ocular Albinism, which means she has lousy eyesight and looks remarkably caucasian. I fear someday other Chinese children may tell her she's not Chinese and of course, we're likely to get all sorts of bizarre racially spurred remarks. (Okay, we already have and from disturbing quarters.) Anyway, I wanted to say hello to a fellow adopter. Your books look fabulous and I'll watch for them here in the U.S. Mine is still in need of a publisher, but is set in pseudo China, 220 A.D.
Hi Victoria! Thanks for dropping by.
That post by Justine was quite disturbing. I honestly don't know what goes on in the heads of marketing people sometimes!
Actually my kids are not adopted – I am married to a Malay. And they are now quite gorgeous women, one of them married to an American. The best thing you can do for kids is to give them the assurance they near to deal with anything that comes their way. And yes, there have been not so nice incidents, but I am proud of the way they have coped.
Chinese seems to be one of the in things in fantasy at the moment. Have you read Alma Alexander or the Australians Kylie Chan and Alison Goodman?