Gail Carriger

Well, my dear Gentle Reader, I am off to foreign climes. I'll be traveling from May 15 ~ June 7 in France. The first half will be work, and the second half vacation. I'll be checking in online, periodically, but mostly unable to respond to anything until I get back.


If you would like to see me while I am there, I will be in St. Malo for Etonnants Voyageurs Festival May 18 ~ 20, and then in Epinal for Imaginales Festival May 23 ~ 25.

When I'm not at panels or eating, I can probably be found at the Calmann/Orbit booth signing and chatting. I'd love love love to see you!

Etonnants Voyageurs Festival in St. Malo

* Signing in the Libraire L'Atlante (we thingk) Booth 84 *

May 18, Saturday
2:15 pm Panel: "Le Retour des vampires" = "Vampires are back”
Maison de l'Imaginaire

May 19, Sunday
4:45 ~ 5:30 pm Panel: “Gothic Girls”
Nouveaux Mondes, Room 2

May 20, Monday
9:00 am Breakfast with Fans
Café L'Univers, Grande Terrasse

Imaginales Festival in Epinal

* Signing in the La Bulle du Livre (the main festival room) *

May 23, Thursday
10:00 am Panel: “coup d’envoi des Imaginales”, which means “Welcome to Imaginales!”.
Espace Cours
Ken Scholes, Lucius Shepard

May 24, Frday
4:00 pm Panel "All kinds of creatures"
Magic Mirrors 2

May 25, Saturday
9:00 am Breakfast Kaffeklutch
Noon ~ 1:00 pm “La fantasy urbaine, réenchanter notre époque” or “Urban Fantasy, how to re-enchant our time”.
Magic Mirrors 2
4:00 pm Q&A/Reading: “Meeting Gail Carriger”
Magic Mirrors 1
5.00 pm Panel: “Femmes et Fantasy, du faire-valoir à la femme" or “Women and Fantasy, from a foil to an action woman”
Magic Mirrors 1

May 26, Sunday
6:00 pm Panel: “One for the Road”
Magic Mirrors 1

Sorry, I will not be doing any events in Paris. Nor will I be visiting neighboring countries this time around. However, I plan to be in London in the fall of next year.


GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .


Your Infusion of Cute . . .


Your Tisane of Smart . . .


Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Guest Agent Sara Megibow: Is the Agent Pitch Session an Effective Tool or Could it use a Tweak?

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Rough draft done. Read through time.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:


Quote of the Day:
“My hands are perfumed with her delicious limbs, and I cannot wash off the scent. And every moment the thought comes across me of those mysterious recesses of beauty where my hands have been wandering.”
~ Reverend Charles Kingsley, 1840 (AKA the author of The Water Babies)

Gentle Reader, it’s been too long since I’ve run a contest, and you know I love to reward the careful reader. So, let’s do a big ARC giveaway! I have 20 signed copies of the Curtsies & Conspiracies Advanced Reader Copy to send out to contest winners. This book won’t be released until November 5th, so here is your chance to read it early.


In honor of this exciting event, I also have one first prize goodie box to give away. It will contain a signed copy of Soulless: The Manga, Vol. 2 (The Parasol Protectorate Manga), an anglicized edition of Etiquette & Espionage, and the Curtsies & Conspiracies ARC. It also has some octopus swag, a Soulless promotional button, and a few teeny-tiny perfumes from Clockwork Couture. The 19 other lucky winners will get signed copies of the ARC. Each winner will be selected by a random number generator.

I’m going back to my favorite type of contest for this...the write a review contest.

How to Win:

• Post a 60 word (or more) review of Etiquette & Espionage. (Why 60 words? Because when I reviewed professionally that was our standard.)


• Yes, it MUST be Etiquette & Espionage.


• Post it on: Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Librarything, Shelfari, personal (not locked!) blog, wherever you desire.

How to Enter:

• Write and post your review.


• Leave a comment below with the link to one review in it, your name, and a way to contact you.


• You have until June 10th to do this.


• You can enter multiple reviews, but each one should be its own comment.


• You can repost the same review to different venues and enter it multiple times, so long as each gets it's own comment.


• You need to please LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH REVIEW.

What Happens:

• 20 winners will be random number generated and ranked.


• First place winner gets the goodie box.


• Following 19 get signed ARCS of Curtsies & Conspiracies.


• I will announce the 20 winners here, by name/handle on June 12th.


• You will have 7 days to get back to me with your address via the calling card feature on my website.


• I will pop them in the mail to you. Ta da!

Inevitable questions:

• This contest is only open to those within the continental US. (I am sorry, but the ARC has to be restricted from overseas distribution for legal reasons.)


• You will not be judged on the quality or strength of your review(s). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.


• Worried about conflicts of interest, here is the Amazon policy on reviews: “What’s not allowed: Reviews written for any form of compensation other than a free copy of the product.”

A NOTE ON SPAM:
Some people's comments/entries are being labeled spam. There is nothing I (or you) can do about this. It's a big LJ issue and one of the many reasons I am trying to move off this platform.
If you wait a few days you comment will probably go through, and appear in the thread.
If you are worried or it is still not working, you can enter the contest over at Gail Carriger on blogspot, it should work better.

Good luck!

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Movie still from Swann in Love

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Little square plates! So cute.

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Flying Train via FB

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
The Top Five Things My Editor Taught Me

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft. Pipped by key problem.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:
Etiquette & Espionage Reviews!

• Lauren’s Loquacious Literature writes, “I was honestly tempted to kidnap a ten year old and sit them down while I read the story out to them so I could enjoy their enjoyment of it, because that’s what kind of book this is.”


• Read This Book says, “Filled with humor and witty dialogue, the story easily entertains and keeps the reader turning the page.”


• High Asipirations says, “As with Ms. Carriger's other works, this book is well written with engaging characters, brilliant dialogue, and edge-of-the plot.”


• SF Crowsnest says, “I wish I could go to this floating school of espionage... It’s like Hogwarts but so much better with all the mechanimals and other steampunk inventions.”


• Lovely Books Blog says, “Sophronia was an absolutely hilarious protagonist. I adored her character and Carriger’s writing just highlighted all the best aspects of her personality.”


• Modern Manuscript says, “Etiquette and Espionage, more so than the Parasol Protectorate books, is a steampunk fantasyland. It is this attention to detail and focus on immersive, innovative worldbuilding that is one of Carriger’s greatest strengths as a writer.”


• So Many Books So Little Time says, “It’s not often you get a vampire professor, lessons in seduction and deception and go to school on a floating ship. It’s a brilliant world and I can’t wait to discover more about it as the series goes on.”


• Queen Ella Bee Reads, “Gail Carriger? Werewolves? Vampires? Ghosts? OH MY INDEED.”


• Lize-Mari Arthur says, “It is written for young girls, with an easy style and light moments of comedy, suspense and fantasy.”


• SQ Mag says, “A mixture of Victorian propriety, outlandish steampunk inventions, and popular paranormal elements combine to make this series sure to please a modern reader’s palate.”


• Biblio File says, “In the middle of this educational intrigue, there is real intrigue-- flying highway men are attacking the school, after something the school has, and hidden. What is it? And where? Secret late-night trips to the boiler room, mechanical dogs and more...”

Quote of the Day:
“Morning - A term that in Jane Austen’s day often meant the period of time between breakfast and dinner, a meal which was often not consumed until three or four in the afternoon. The usage survived in the term “morning calls,” those ceremonial visits paid by the genteel to ladies “at home” in their drawing rooms between 3 PM and 5 PM.”
~ Daniel Pool

Last weekend was my mum's annual Lady's Hat Societal Invitational Tea. She's been undertaking this endeavor for about a decade. Every year around this time, she turns into a whirling dervish of house cleaning and garden sprucing. Then she throws open her gates for one afternoon to a vast collection of fabulous women in ridiculous hats who come with delicious food offerings, swill tea, and gossip.


The spread this year was particularly impressive.


It's like one of Mademoiselle Geraldine's "small repasts." The savory's included cheese & pickle (AKA chutney) sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, Scotch eggs, ham & onion quiche, spinach & onion quiche, salad, potato & sun-dried tomato frittata, 3 types of flat bread pizza, duck egg & apricot pan bread, assorted cheese and crackers, cold shrimp & dip.


Sweets included strawberry rhubarb crumble, plum cobbler, almond cake, flan, watermelon, fruit tart, four different kinds of brownies (what the AB referred to later as a "brownie flight"), fresh strawberries, home made biscotti, cheesecake, Myer lemon bars, key lime coconut bars (my favorite), raspberry trifle with amaretto pound cake and almond custard, Sweet Things mini cupcakes (yes!), assorted pastries, cookies, and biscuits.


It was amazing!

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1890s The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Another Mini Garden via Apartment Therapy

Your Tisane of Smart . . .


Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Grammar ABC’s: T is for Tense

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:

Mum's collection of my novels . . . her Grandbooks.

Quote of the Day:
“Beneath the stone our baby lays,
He neither cries nor hollars;
He lived just one-and twenty days,
And cost us twenty dollars.”
~ Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine September 1872

As you know, Gentle Reader, occasionally my bog is hijacked by . . . Other Authors! Today please welcome Steven Harper, author of steampunk The Clockwork Empire series. We shall serve him tea, even though he takes it without milk, and ask him silly questions.

About Steven Harper, the Author!

Tea or coffee and how do you take it?
Tea! Strong, with no milk or sugar. And lots of caffeine.

Describe your personal style for author appearances.
I usually try to wear the opposite of what the audience does so I stand out. If the audience dresses up, I’ll usually show up in jeans and a polo shirt. If the audience is casual, I’ll put on a tie. I really, truly need to put together a steampunk persona outfit, but these bloody books came out six months apart, and I just haven’t had time!

If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?
Here we have the steampunk writer in his native environment. Notice the computer with ergonomic keyboard on his desk and the maroushka nesting dolls from Ukraine in the background. Did the latter influence the latest work? We’ll have to find out once we bring a copy in from the wild. Only a few steps away we see a folk harp. Is it coincidence that the author’s pen name is Steven Harper? We’ll have to trank him and bring him in for further study.

If you drive, what do you drive? My beloved Chevy Cavalier was totalled by a drunk driver who smashed into it while it was parked in my driveway, so now I drive a Cobalt. Unless I’m going to Ikea, in which case I take the mini van.

No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone? (Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)
Chocolate, of course, on plain cone, though I’m lactose intolerant, so I’ll pay for it later.
(Verdict: quite sane)

What's most likely to make you laugh?
The deadline proposals my editor gives me. That, or the videos my youngest son shoots from around the neighborhood.

Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what's your poison?
Rum and Coke. Without the rum.


Steven Harper Piziks was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but he moved around a lot and has lived in Wisconsin, Germany, and (briefly) Ukraine. Currently he lives with his three sons in southeastern Michigan. Writing as Steven Harper for Roc Books, he has produced The Silent Empire series and The Clockwork Empire series. The Havoc Machine, the latest volume, comes out May 7.

Mr. Piziks currently teaches high school English in southeast Michigan. His students think he’s hysterical, which isn’t the same as thinking he’s hilarious. When not writing, he plays the folk harp, dabbles in oral storytelling, and spends more time on-line than is probably good for him.


About The Havoc Machine!

What should readers eat while consuming your novel?
Peanuts and vodka. They’ll understand why when they get to the part where Nikolai joins the circus.

What form does evil take within its pages?
That would actually be a major spoiler, so I’ll just saunter away whistling on this one.

Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?
Nikolai. The little sweetie needs two or three on each cheek. He’s so earnest and needs his daddy.

What's your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?
The period from 1861 to 1865 is one of the most momentous in the world. So much happened in England, Russia, and China during that tiny span, it’s difficult to comprehend all of it. It’s why I chose that time period for the Clockwork Empire novels, in fact. During this period, when The Havoc Machine takes place, civil unrest among the peasant was reaching a fever pitch, and Tsar Alexander I attempted to emancipate the serfs, which ticked off every single nobleman in Russia. The groundwork for the Russian Revolution was laid during this time as well. The Tsars were simultaneously at their height, and going into a decline.

Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?
Besides the antagonist? Tsar Alexander—my history’s version of him, anyway. He doesn’t understand that his lifestyle is draining his country dry, and by diverting just a small percentage of what he spends of lavish living, Russia could have great railroads, public schools, and mass communication. But he’d rather have an extra marble palace with heated walls.

Without spoilers, what's the funnest (or funniest) part of the book?
When Nikolai tries to swallow swords. No really—it’s very funny.

If your story smelled of something, what would that be?
It’s mostly set in a circus, so peanuts, coal smoke, fried bread, and lions.


THE HAVOC MACHINE, by Steven Harper, is the fourth novel in the Clockwork Empire series.

In a world riddled with the destruction of men and machines alike, Thaddeus Sharpe takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, geared toward the hunt of his life….

Thaddeus Sharpe’s life is dedicated to the hunting and killing of clockworkers. When a mysterious young woman named Sofiya Ekk approaches him with a proposition from a powerful employer, he cannot refuse. A man who calls himself Mr. Griffin seeks Thad’s help with mad clockwork scientist Lord Havoc, who has molded a dangerous machine. Mr. Griffin cares little if the evil Lord lives or dies; all he desires is Havoc’s invention.

Upon Thad’s arrival at Havoc’s laboratory, he is met with a chilling discovery. Havoc is not only concealing his precious machine; he has been using a young child by the name of Nikolai for cruel experiments. Locked into a clockwork web of intrigue, Thad must decipher the dangerous truth surrounding Nikolai and the chaos contraption before havoc reigns….


Thank you Steven!

Meanwhile, I'm crazy busy preparing for France, Gentle Reader, and trying to make my deadline. Thus, I haven't had a chance to read this book. However, if you do please let me know what you think of it? The first in the series is The Doomsday Vault. But it seems each book as has a different protagonist, so while they are all in the same world each can stand alone? Hopefully Mr. Harper will stop buy and let me know if my supposition is correct.

Now darlings, to the tea! There is a long week ahead.

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Parasol Training

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Teacup Chair via Facebook

Your Tisane of Smart . . .


Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Books You Eat Like Candy & Books You Savor

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft. Pipped by key problem.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:

Now THOSE are the nails of a lady of quality.
(nailart inspired by Etiquette & Espionage)

Quote of the Day:
The Etiquette of Smoking.
Light your cigar first, and, after you have taken one or two whiffs, turn around, and inquire, most politely, “If smoking is disagreeable to any one present?”
~ Punch, August 1853

Friday I piled far too many shoes into my little Civic and trundled down to my local Steampunk convention, Nova Albion in San Jose. They took a hiatus last year so it was nice to have it back again, for one thing, I can take many shoes. And hats. And...
It was fun! Hats and shoes were worn, outfits malfunctioned, panels were postulated, liquor was drunk. You know, as happens at these things. I wish I had time for a fully detailed day-by-day report but frankly, my dear Gentle Reader, you probably don't care. You can see all the outfits and more steampunk fashion over on Retro Rack.


You see, my week pretty mostly (metaphorically) caught on fire and I lost two days of writing time, three days of blogging, most of my sanity, and all my good humor as a result. It's practically impossible for me to write comedy when grumpy ~ fancy that? If I'm not careful I might start killing off all my characters George R. R. Martin style, and then where would we be?


Don't worry about the current book, I have backups for my backups and I didn't lose anything, except those two days when I should have been writing and instead was dashing about madly in 100 degree weather like a slowly frying chicken with her head cut off. You see, as I leave for France in 10 days and a have am million things do do before then, I can ill afford lost writing time right now. Guess who will be typing away Saturday night and most of Sunday? Yeah, the joys of being self employed. Oh dear, now the grump is leaking into my post, I do apologize, my dear. I should probably go now.

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

She had this parasol hooked into an egg beater handle thingy and it spun when you cranked it!
(I refuse to fight LJ for the next hour to get it faced properly, sorry, no time)

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Me and the Bad Boys of Steampunk

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Etsy Steampunk iPhone $350

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Be Your Own Book Doctor

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft. Pipped by key problem.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:

Japanese cover of Etiquette & Espionage

Quote of the Day:

1. World peace
2. Various online vendors spelling her name Gaila
3. The fact that the first three Parasol Protectorate audiobooks are not available in UK territories
4. Acquiring details (trains, or hotels) for her France trip, two weeks away
6. Family
7. 2 broken key# on her l#ptop (now you know which) ~ vital to English language, it turns out (I'm using copy & paste function)

*Insert OCD Gail freak out here*

No, really I've tried EVERYTHING. I know you think, Gentle Reader that you're the lone queen of solution, but I tried it. I did. Or I thought of it & don't have time or $.

Plee hold on for convention update.

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1885-1890 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Your Infusion of Cute . . .


Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Level cufflinks at uncommongoods.com

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .

Write Roof

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft. Pipped by key problem. Grrrrrrr.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:

Gathering PP Japanese English

Quote of the Day:
THE MOUSTACHE AND BEARD QUESTION.
"MR. PUNCH,—I have been, I may say from my birth—leastwise since I could stand upon a stool—a barber. I've brought up a large family (and am married again) upon shaving. To be clean shaved was the prerogative of a Briton. And now there is a movement for German beards and Cossack moustachios, which, if permitted, farewell to the British Constitution. When we look like Roossian slaves and Austrian panders, we shall feel and act like 'em. Anyways, if beards come in, barbers must go out, in which case I ask for 'demnification.
"Yours, &c." "SIBTHORP SUDS."
"The COLONEL—(my parent was a Lincoln voter and barber)—is my godfather; which happened when the COLONEL used to go, I'm told, with as clean a face as any in the county."
~ Punch November 1853

1. No matter how many packing lists, I will forget something, often multiple somethings.
2. Tea tastes better out of a pretty cup, however Earl Grey still tastes like furniture polish no matter what.
3. People will not let the lavender-meets-food mutually-destructive relationship go. It's time. It was wrong from the get go. Just give it up. Lavender is for Grandmama's soap and pretty much nothing else.
4. Hotel food seems to improve after hotel renovation. Hooray for that.
5. Unfortunately, hotels will retain and display the worst wall art, even after renovation. Much to our amusement, the infamous "baby blue truckers peeing in the bayou" paintings still reside in most rooms of the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara.
6. No one does the shampoo hair commercial flip like Thomas Willeford.


7. It takes a small convention to give a good panel spread on all aspects of publishing.
8. Steampunk be like faire: yes I know your face, no I don't remember your name.
9. It will always require two takes to film Gail, perhaps it's the vampire in her, but the first one just never works.
10. In line with that, the first take will always be the better one...of course.


GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

Gail and @clockworkbyrde via Jeanine Gray on Facebook

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Mechanimal pin spotted!

Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Laser cut cog necklaces that actually works to fiddle with. Hours of entertainment.

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Why Some Books Are Harder to Write Than Others

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:
Aaron Michael Ritchey's Completely UNAUTHORIZED Interview with Steampunk Goddess Gail Carriger


Quote of the Day:
An Obvious Mistake.
An advertisement has appeared in nearly all the papers, announcing as a “novel thrilling attraction” that
“Two ladies will make their ascent on Monday evening next, suspended from the car of the Royal Cremorne Balloon.”
There is evidently some mistake in the announcement of this unwomanly and degrading exhibition. We cannot well allow that to be an “ascent” where the parties engaged so completely lower themselves.”
~ Punch July 1853

My dear Gentle Reader, this weekend is Nova Albion, my local Steampunk convention. This will be my last steampunk event of the year (I think). I am pulling out all the costuming stops, look for fun fun Retro Rack posts in the up coming weeks as a result.

The convention is at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara (5101 Great America Parkway).

Friday

I will be there hanging out at the Victorian Ball from 8:00-midnight, although knowing me I may not last that late.

Saturday

noon ~ 1pm: Steampunk Writer’s Round Table
Room: Stevens Creek
with Kitty NicIanian, Thomas Willeford, and Priscilla Troy

2 ~ 3:30pm: Reading from C&C, Q&A, Signing
Room: Stevens Creek

Other then that, I will most likely be found in Miss Kalendar's Salon, Room 1232, drinking tea.

In the evening I will be milling around at the various parties and events.

Sunday

1 ~ 2pm: Write & Publish Steampunk Literature
Room: Stevens Creek
with Ryvenna Lewis, Mark Anderson, and J. Daniel Sawyer

I'm hoping this will be a pretty low key convention, I look forward to meeting people in person, relaxing and generally practicing my etiquette on all and sundry.

I won't be back blogging until Monday or Tuesday so in the meantime, here are a few more Etiquette & Espionage reviews. Thanks again to all who took the time to write them.

• Bookkaholic Book Reviews praises, “Gail Carriger’s prose is filled with glorious wit and whimsy, the perfect tone for YA steampunk. However, the plot is just plain fun.”


• ALPHA Reader says, “Some people see a dumbwaiter – Sophronia Temminnick sees a means to spy on her mother and the mystery lady called Mademoiselle Geraldine whom she’s taking tea with.”


• Book Tasty hypothesizes, “If I was a student at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s I believe I’d want to be one of Sophronia’s good friends.”


• Frodo’s Blog of Randomness analyzes, “Carriger not only uses standard forms of humor, but with the etiquette involved some specific situations that most books would be unable to take advantage of are used masterfully.”


• The Ranting Dragon rants, “The humor is droll and dry, invoking more giggles than I usually experience from a book... Carriger’s worldbuilding was a definite highlight of this book.”


• Serendipity Reviews, “Full of idiosyncratic faux-Victorian language and gloriously extravagant settings (who could forget the dirigible academy?), there is a strong core of personal relationships and intrigues that you would expect in a school story.”


• Books with Bite waxes poetical, “ Talk over tea, handsome gentlemen and of course a secret society under the guise of a school. I love it.”


• A Library Mama is not disappointed, “There is adventure, humor, and the beginnings of a sweet cross-class interracial romance...All in all, Carriger does not disappoint.”


• Luna’s Little Library is taken, “I was along for an adventure and Sophronia was my kind of protagonist.”


• The blogging experiment: cook read write writes, “Gail Carriger’s books certainly carry a special charm and her unique writing style and ability to incorporate the most absurdly wonderful adjectives are a joy to read.”


• Fangs for the Fantasy is surprised that a YA is actually YA length, “The writing of this book is pretty much a joy. We cover so much in so much detail that I actually thought the book was much longer than it was – I was astonished to see, after I’ve finished it, that it was more a novella than a novel.”


• Team Tynga’s Reviews, “Fans of the adult series get glimpses of some familiar characters and all readers, old and new, get to meet the irrepressible Sophronia Angelina Temminnick, our fearless fourteen-year-old protagonist. I loved Sophronia from the moment she stepped onto the page (and into the dumbwaiter).”


• Nawanda Files likes the authorbeast, “Carriger is undoubtedly a fantastic writer, and this book has enticed me to check out her adult series.”


• The Asian Gamer stops gaming to read and learns, “This book also convinced me of the importance of eyelash fluttering while engaging in espionage.”

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1885-1890 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Facebook

Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Malleable Wooden Surface

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
The Unnecessary Shame Writers Feel When Getting Feedback

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:
On the Parasol Protectorate USA Today says, “This steampunk series has it all... If you want a little bit of everything — cogs, contraptions, vamps and wolves — then check out this series.”

Quote of the Day:
“To be sold cheap, a mail phaeton, the property of a gentleman with a moveable head, as good as new.”
~ Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine November 1872

I tend to think of certain movies as good flavor movies. Which is to say, Gentle Reader, if I I have a bad day or see a movie that really upsets me, I can go home and pop in one of these and it will make me feel better. They live at the very front of my DVD binder for easy access. For some reason I don't have books that function the same way ~ perhaps books tap into a different part of the psyche.


Ever After ~ I have no idea why this Cinderella retelling featuring Drew Barrymore and Angelica Houston is so appealing, but it is. It could be that it ties back to my childhood love for the Slipper and the Rose. It also features Melanie Lynskey as one of the stepsisters, my choice of casting for Ivy Hisselpenny. The dialogue is stilted, the costuming questionable, and the accents atrocious but none of that seems to matter ~ watching this movie never fails to make me feel better.


Latter Days ~ Possibly the most romantic film ever made: party boy redeemed through the love of a good . . . Mormon? Yeah. Bring it. I can re-watch the ending scene where Christian drops the tray in surprise over and over again. Who knew the sexiest words in existence were "I hate the snow"?


Bend it Like Beckham ~ Girl power comedy featuring romantic interest Jonathan Rhys Myers in full on pouty-lipped tortured Irish mode. Who could ask for anything more? Not to mention in indomitable Juliet Stevenson as the white trash mother (or the British equivalent of white trash) trying to understand sports. In addition, we get: interracial difficulties, spunky girls with something to prove, gay best friend, makeover, sister bonding, victorious sports action, Bollywood dance, and beautiful saris. I find it odd anyone would not love this movie.

So those are my picks, and now, I'm dieing of curiosity. What are yours?

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .
Today LJ is not even allowing an attempt at image up load. I swear I am working to make the shift to blogspot, it's just taking forever for website coding reasons.

Your Infusion of Cute . . .
18 Microwave Snacks You Can Cook In A Mug

Your Tisane of Smart . . .
Quirky Victorian Term explained: Isinglass “A transparent jelly, made from the entrails of a fish.”
~ Mangnall’s Questions, 1830

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Bookshelves Talk: What Do Your Bookshelves Say About You?

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013

Book News:
Review of Soulless Vol. I (the manga)
Dark Matter Fanzine says, “The manga books are a fantastic addition to your Parasol Protectorate collection or a substitute for the time-challenged who just do not have the time to enjoy the delicious repast that is each of the original novels.”

Quote of the Day:
“Quadrature. The first and last quarter of the moon.”
~ Mangnall’s Questions, 1830

The great question at larger conventions, for me Gentle Reader, is which hotel. This choice rests entirely on my shoes. I'm a fit individual, I don't mind walking, but I do mind walking miles on cement in five inch heels (and the heels are non-negotiable). I vastly prefer the smaller conventions where hotel, consuite, party floor, and panel rooms are comfortably intimate.


With larger conventions one must consider proximity: near to the convention center or near to the party hotel? In the case of Denver 2008 WorldCon the party hotel was several blocks away, but there were two nice hotels right next door to the convention center. One was left to ponder: will one be returning to ones room more frequently during the day, or would one prefer not to stumble several blocks at night before and after parties? Save ones feet (often a matter of whether there is good food inside the convention center) or save ones dignity? Will there be good society, plus other important events, to draw one out to the party hotel during the day, thus making it the more logical choice for ones room? Or is it better to be nearer the convention center and daily activities?

Then one must consider which hotel will be the pro hotel. This is the place were the parties go to die, where all the editors hang out, and where one is most likely to end up bumping into movers and shakers in the industry. It's rarely the party hotel, usually the hotel with the best bar, and often the closest to the convention center. This is the hotel one will be dashing off to, in four-inch spikes with no regard for ones blisters, late for lunch with one's agent after a particularly enthralling panel on black holes.


Then there are other choices to make. The fancier room with breakfast included, jet tub, but only a sofa bed for ones possible companion? The cheaper room with two beds but no refrigerator and few amenities? Does one stay the first night and the last or only one of the options or neither?

Well, Gentle Reader, I leave the decision up to you.

For myself Denver was a learning experience. Over the last four years I have invested in cute, light weight oxford flats in a range or colors to match my outfits. I wear them to walk (or run) between hotels, and then change into the heels when I arrive. As a result, I've also invested in vintage purses large enough to hold said flats once I get to my destination. If the party hotel is too far away from the center of activity I may decide not to attend at all. And I usually try to book my room in the closest hotel to the center regardless of the convention's room-block arrangements.

GAIL'S DAILY DOSE

Your Moment of Parasol . . .

1880-1889 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Your Infusion of Cute . . .


Your Tisane of Smart . . .

Victorian Dress Lifter

Your Writerly Tinctures . . .
Seven Proven Ways to Pack Suspense Into Your Stories

PROJECT ROUND UP
Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ The Finishing School Book the Third: Writing rough draft.
Etiquette & Espionage ~ trade paperback available in the US October 13, 2013.
Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ The Finishing School Book the Second: Release date November 2013. My ARCs have arrived, contest to come.
Manga ~ Soulless Vol. 3: (AKA Blameless) Available serialized through YenPlus. Print edition Nov. 19 2013.
Prudence ~ The Parasol Protectorate Abroad Book the First: Delayed. Why? Begin rewrite in 2014.

BIG FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!

The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.

The manga editions available in print.

Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!

The first Finishing School book ~ OUT NOW, The second Finishing School book ~ Nov. 5, 2013?

Book News:

Alexia Inspired Shawl photo by Kristen Brooks

Quote of the Day:
Hotel and Travelling Expenses
"MR PUNCH,—We have seen by the Times how extortionate hotel-keepers can be occasionally. In order to add my testimony in the matter, and with a view to assist in finding a remedy, I have been looking over a file of accounts which, from time to time, I have paid for my son. The following document speaks for itself; it is a relic of a tour made by my son to the Highlands of Scotland. The following seems to have been incurred between 6 P.M. and 8 A.M. next day—
s. d.
Dinner (Kailbrose and haggis) 1 6
428 of 704 1/6/13 11:55 AMThe Project Gutenberg eBook of Punch, Volume XXV. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32352/32352-h/32352-h.htm
"Ale 20
" Whiskey (4 Mutchkins) 3 0 Supper (Finnan Haddies) 0 3
" Toddy 14 0
" Cigars 30
Mornin's 2 6
£1 6 3
"I am, Mr. Punch, yours, &c.,
"JOHN TOMKINS."
~ Punch 1853 September