A week ago I received the contract for my first sale of a short story. “The Girl Who Folded Dragons” will appear in Sword & Sorceress 26, due out in November from Norilana Books.

Its been a surreal and emotional week. Having a story in Sword & Sorceress has been a mini-dream of mine for nearly as long as I have been writing. The first writing advice I ever received was from the introductions of each volume. I read them over and over, absorbing and dreaming.

I only wish my dad could have been here to see me achieve this. I promised him that this is my year, and I guess it is.

One other thing – my friend Heather’s second story, “Soiled Doves” in the anthology How The West Was Wicked, is now available from Pill Hill Press on the Nook and the Kindle.

And it’s available on the Nook right now! The Kindle version should be out later this week, and the print version comes out next week. Congrats Heather!

In my experience, as a reader, as a reviewer, and as a writer, bad reviews are more useful then good reviews. Go to Amazon, or Goodreads, and pull up the five star and one star reviews for any book. A lot of the five star reviews look the same, all formated in a style I think of as ‘book report’ – three to five paragraphs that recap the summary, often copy and pasted from somewhere, followed by at most a paragraph of ‘I liked it.’

The one and two star reviews are passionate. They are often short, but in that paragraph or two the reviewer will say exactly why they didn’t like the about the book. They show emotion and thought as they pick apart the faults they perceive. You can learn a lot from those reviews, even if you don’t agree with them. The further into a series you get, the more likely those reviewers have been written by fans – their hurt and disappoint show through. Negative reviews are powerful.

When it comes to writing reviews I try to remain fair, even when writing about a book I didn’t like – I try to highlight any good bits, and not make any attacks against the writer – just pick apart the book itself. And I try to give the same consideration to the books I do like, because they deserve more then a mass produced stamp of approval.

Recently I read The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks. Part three in a high tech, high action YA trilogy which I can’t recommend enough. It got me thinking about proactive protagonists; in a lot of stories characters only react, and that in and of itself is not a bad thing – most post-apocalypse stories are about reactions, and that’s what make them fascinating. But only having reaction can also be a sign of weak writing. Proactive characters are simply more interesting; they twist and drive the plot, keeping the energy high and spinning the story in new directions.

I’ve been working on finishing Keepers; mostly I’ve been struggling to get past it’s eternally sticky opening. And it is a very sticky opening – while the bulk of the story has remained unchanged, and I have an idea of how things go down, the opening chapters have gone through more iterations then I can count. The most recent changes have come about from the realization that the characters weren’t being active enough. Their inactivity was slowing down the plot, requiring a great many plot devices just to go things going. There is only so many times Adventure can Call, you know? Especially when the characters seem to have caller id for it.

I’m currently somewhere in the middle of chapter two, though it’s kind of hard to tell where since I wrote half of it, then realized it needed to open a completely different way. Anyway, I’m about 3400 words in, which is sadly the farthest I’ve gotten in quite awhile. I’ve decided to be proactive myself – this is going to be the last attempt. If it doesn’t come together this time then it is going to be trunked.

Here’s my fingers crossed.

This requires some perspective.

So many of the locations being closed are in areas where there is another Borders within 50 miles. The Borders on Diamond is one of FOUR major chain bookstores in the entire state of Alaska – the other three being the Barnes and Nobles in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and the sad little Waldenbooks in Wasilla. That’s four major chain book stores in an area that nearly half the size of the contiguous United States. You could fit entire states between the closest of the two remaining stores. Sure there are independent and used bookstores, but this post is not about those stores.

I have plenty of fond memories of the Borders on Diamond. I hazily remember a time when it was the only pony in town – I bought my first volume of manga there (Fruits Basket, volume 1). When I was just learning to read I found The Unicorns of Balinor there, and picked up The Saddle Club as well when I was told that I could only get a book if I got three books – Oh don’t throw me in the brier patch!

We stopped going there when Barnes and Noble opened. Not only was it significantly closer, but it was in a better part of town and the membership card knocked 20% off every book. Borders reorganized, and the internet arrived in a big way, and then there was no reason to go to Borders there unless you were already at that end of town, or a die-hard fan.

Why did Borders fall? I was only peripherally aware of the situation before late last year, so my view is entirely that of an uneducated outsider. It seems to me that Borders has been mismanaged for years – they got a head start on Barnes and Noble at the beginning, but like the rabbit in the fable they got over confident, and refused to see their shortcomings for a long time. It took years for Borders to get a decent website of any sort, and they were late to the ebook party, bringing in a third party with a device that at best can be described as silly looking. They were even later to the membership party, introducing a plan last year that was basically the same as the one Barnes and Noble has had for years.

I will miss Borders, and I will hope for their recovery(if only so my local Waldens can go back be being its awesome little self.) I think if they played it smart they could do well – they could come back, open up a new place in the Tikathnu Commons, and blow Barnes and Noble out of the water by being the closest major bookstore to The Valley… but what I have heard of the company’s plans so far does not give me hope. They seem about as in touch with things as an ostrich with its head in the sand.

It was a really good year for movies. Going down my list of movies I find that they mostly fall into two categories – really great, and really awful. Paring the list down to five was truly difficult.
Top Five Movies I’ve
1. Tangled & Megamind & Inception – It’s my blog, I can have a three-way tie if I want to! But seriously, all three of these are fabulous movies. I couldn’t choose between them if I tried.
2. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – it’s an epic movie, and I’m not using that word lightly. It feels as natural to me as breathing, and portrays an accurate, if sometimes unflattering, picture of my generation.
3. Eclipse – When ever Edward and Bella weren’t on the screen it was a really awesome movie. When they were it was a fun movie to mock. Win-win.
4. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva – This gem of a movie is a first rate adaptation of the games it is based on, staying true to the tone and intelligence with getting bogged down. It’s crazy-awesome climax is what lands it on my list.
5. Hamlet – One part Shakespeare, two parts David Tennant and Patrick Stewart – the Royal Shakespeare Company’s performance is one that has stuck in my head.

Hey lookit that, I failed once again to watch enough television to put together a Top Five list. Maybe next year? I do have a lot of shows to catch up with.
Top Five Anime I’ve Seen
1. Spice and Wolf – Based solely off the character designs I went in expecting something action based and fanservicey. What I found was cheerful characters, easygoing pace, a dark plot, and a world rich in details. The explainations of economy that the plot revolves around make my inner RPG geek squee.
2. House of Five Leaves – With a unique style and somber, intricate storytelling, it won my heart with it’s unlikely hero and the mysterious man who draws him into a kidnapping ring.
3. Soul Eater – a series brimming with visual style and colorful characters, and has the heart to match.
4. Emma : A Victorian Romance – a highly detailed period piece and an elegant, touching love story the likes of which are far too rare in anime. Or any medium actually.
5. Escaflowne – Still a classic, still pissed at the ending.

Top Five Games I’ve Played
1. Plants Vs. Zombies – This game? This game ate my brain.
2. Professor Layton and The Curious Village / Professor Layton and The Diabolical Box – these games are made out of brilliance and TEA. Sherlock Holmes combined with James Bond in a top hat. The first game had the better story, but I think the second had better puzzles, or at least a better implementation of those puzzle.
3. Super Scribblenauts – everything Scribblenauts was supposed to be, only better. Review forthcoming.
4. Kirby’s Epic Yarn – Tastes like diabetes. And cotton. Too adorable, and too much fun.
5. Fable 3 – Not as good as it’s predecessors, but still a pretty well written game. Except for the ending. RAWR.

55 books this year. Not bad I guess, but not as many as I hoped to read.
Top Five Books I’ve Read
1. Feed, by Mira Grant – this book changed my life. A thrilling, heartbreaking, terrifying tale. Like zombies? Read it. Don’t like zombies? Read it anyway.
2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin – With a vivid world and complex characters, fantasy gets turned on it’s head with anime tropes.
3. The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan – Greek mythology, DONE RIGHT. I’m still in shock.
4. The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff – another one of those stories that just stuck in my head and refused to leave.
5. The Queen’s Bastard, by C. E. Murphy – there’s really no way to describe what makes this book great without spoiling it. It starts off slow, but all that world building leads up to an OMGWTF ending.

Now I must return to keeping the dogs calm – the fireworks rile up them and people are out there celebrating up a storm.

It was a good year for movies.
Top Five Movies I’ve Seen.
1. The Princess and the Frog – Disney is back baby! I loved it so much I went back to watch it a second time.
2. Ponyo – more brilliance from Miyazaki.
3. Sherlock Holmes – steampunk, detective work, black magic, stellar soundtrack!
4. New Moon – Hey, this is my top five. I said nothing about these movies being good, just that I found them entertaining.
5. Sword of the Stranger – a gem of a movie in the style of the classic samurai movies.

While it was a good year for movies it was a terrible year for tv viewing. There were about two-three shows I actually bothered to watch all year(NCIS, Dexter, and Castle. fyi.) So I’m skipping right to the…
Top Five Anime I’ve Seen.
1. Mononoke – a medicine seller fights monsters. Bright colors, mindbending narrative, and vibrant action.
2. Mushishi – A similar premise, but a vastly different implementation. The shinto to Mononoke’s buddhism. Calm, meditative, and reflective.
3. Claymore – Women with BFS fight monsters. Than it got worse. (I’m ignoring the gecko ending, because wtf people?)
4. Darker than Black – A slow burn that builds up into a WHOA story. (And the best episode 26 -ever-.)
5. Ouran High School Host Club – nononsense scholarship student ends up in the middle of a harem, hijinks ensue? And crossdressing. Lots of crossdressing.

Top Five Video Games I’ve Played.
1. Legend of Zelda : Spirit Tracks – Best Zelda game since Wind Waker. Of course I am a sucker for trains…
2. Infinite Undiscovery – a fun game that suffered from not enough attention or budget. Also the story is on crack. (I just found out there is going to be a sequel! Can’t wait!)
3. Fable 1 & 2 – I serious can’t decide which I like better. They both glitchy, and where one shines the other founders. Both have fun, engaging worlds. Also, the dog rocks.
4. Braid – What is there about this game that I can say that hasn’t already been said?
5. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations – The series’ storylines come together with a nice big bow. Also, Franziska Von Karma. “Only a fool would suggest such a foolish piece of absolute foolishness!”

I didn’t quite make my goal of 75 books in a year, but I’m happy with having read 60. It was more than last year! This was also the hardest list because, well… books!
Top Five Books I’ve Read.
1. Flesh and Spirit/Breath and Bone by Carol Berg – technically two books, but I refer to them collectively as The Book That Never Ends. In a good way.
2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – it deserves every award its won. Spooky and heartwaring.
3. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow – a ya urban fantasy! with a realistic strong heroine! vampires! werewolves! a kick-ass truck!
4. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks – A supersmart kid goes to a school of evil.
5. Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare – The book that finally dragged me into the romance genre.

Well, that is certainly enough reminiscing for now. Happy New Years!

Anyway, I don’t read Romances. The more I say that the less it’s true. Urban Fantasy, one of my favorite genres, blends nearly seamlessly with Paranormal Romance at times, and I do enjoy romance(with the lowercase r). Seems like I find myself wandering into that aisle at the bookstore more and more often. I’m drawn mostly to the Paranormal and Historical subgenres, more fantasy in a way – I don’t much like books grounded in the real world in general.

I would like to see a Paranormal Historical Romance set in the Meiji Restoration in Japan*. That would rock nine different pairs of my socks. There is that adage that if there is a book you want but can’t find, then you should write it. Another idea for the idea file.

*my current interest in said time period has nothing to do with my current obsession with Rurouni Kenshin. I swear.

Recently I got a Sony Reader 505 and so far I really love it – the screen is magic, and the fact it doesn’t take up much space is going to be great for housesitting. I’ve even discovered another use – it’s handy for video game walkthroughs! No more wasting lots of paper printing them out, and no more having to deal with my laptop while gaming! It’s wonderful, especially for my DS games.

Though I’m currently stall with a case of “I don’t wanna” I feel like I’m making progress with my novel. I’m excited to finish it, something I haven’t ever really been before. Despite the economic craziness I feel like 2009 is going to be a good year, and perhaps even a great one. At least in my life, though I don’t want to jinx things. *knocks on wood*

Her story, Confirmation, is in the anthology Lilith Unbound, edited by Elaine Cunningham. Currently there is a contest to win a free copy over at Elaine Cuningham’s livejournal. She’s also been posting excerpts from the stories on her website, one a day until they run out, and so far a few of them have seemed really interesting. I haven’t ordered my copy yet, but as the PFD is coming in a few days so I will order it soon.