Tag Archives: readings

A great big book blur

14 Oct

So, yeah, September just barreled into October sometime in the past few days…and it’s like I just fell off a cliff into book insanity. I’m actually doing published author things. Crazy things. Like getting interviewed for my Blog Tour, which is gonna be all over the InterWebs in mere MOMENTS. Ten “appearances” between 10/17 and 10/28. (Go to the bottom for a complete listing of dates.) I’ll definitely  be posting links to the interviews on my Facebook fan page….and, well links to any reviews that are at least 51% positive. (Any other reviews you’ll have to seek out and then keep to yourself.)

And, of course, last weekend was filled with the whirlwind that is Wordstock. As opposed to years past, I had more to do than just sneakily snagging up the free swag. Not only did I get to drool over the really cool Spart Art Turned Magnet Swag (at left), but I also got to sign ARCS for some lucky raffle fans…I actually hugged a kid and posed for a photo. Like I was person you get your photo taken with.  I also  realized that I need to think before writing in a book with a pen. No one enjoys: “For James. Best Wishes. -May John.” (I also need to sign my name more clearly. No one knows who May John is.)

When I wasn’t strutting around, hoping someone would recognize me from the face on the book’s one sheet, I was filling pages and pages of notes at workshops (worth mentioning was one about writing for teen boys, led by the gregarious D.F. Walker). My favorite panel discussion was about coming-of-age novels. You should check out Jen Violi’s Putting Makeup on Dead People. Have you heard of a simpler or cooler plot than a teen girl getting a job as a makeup artist for dead people?? No. You haven’t. Not this decade, anyway. Pass the lipstick, please.

I also got to meet Dale Basye at his booth, who signed all 4 books in his Heck Series for me–he even scribbled an inside joke in Fibble: the Fourth Circle of Heck about something only he and I know about. Oh, ho, ho, me and Dale. Or “Dolly”, as we call ourselves.  Rubbing elbows. Just chatting like two old best-friends-y jay birds! You couldn’t shut us up….! Aaah….oh dear.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ms. Johnson doesn’t understand that a blog is not the proper place for embellished truths regarding public figures.

Back to reality. Oh, right. One more thing. Just a…well, it’s a small thing– it was so inconsequential I almost forgot it. A teeny something about seeing my name casually mentioned along with a certain Spartacus and the Circle [sic] of Shadows novel in a modest little magazine called

Wired…

Yeah, psh. Whatever. I’m so used to this by now that…

Who am I kidding?! I’m still tap dancing over it. Z and Achilles were done hearing about it an hour after I found it. But just the mere mention of my book in a magazine–well, the online version–okay, what’s basically on an online site that could be changed at any moment, obliterating any feelings of grandeur…well, not today, my friends, because for today at least, it’s STILL THERE. And I’m immortalizing it here, to prove it:

Oh. Well, so you have to keep scrolling….

THERE! You see it? MY NAME. MENTIONED. Sure, sure, it’s toward the bottom, like an afterthought, and he got the title wrong. And sure, he hasn’t read the book, made no mention of a sincere intention to, and it was only an “unexpected” find. But. It’s there. Me. Spartacus. The Circle of Shadows.

Like I said, October is gonna be cray-cray. (One of my co-workers says that in lieu of crazy.  I’m not sure if it’ll ever catch on.) Stay tuned….

October Blog Tour:

Monday, 10/17: Corrine at Lost for Words (Author Interview)
Tuesday, 10/18: Nicole at Books Complete Me (Review)
Wednesday, 10/19: Reagan at Star Shadow Blog (When I’m Not Writing)
Thursday, 10/20: Basma at In Between the Lines (Review)
Friday, 10/21: Jessica T at Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile(This or That List)
Monday, 10/24: Jessica T at Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile(Review)
Tuesday, 10/25: Basma at In Between the Lines (Author Interview)
Wednesday, 10/26: Corrine at Lost for Words (Review)
Thursday, 10/27: Nicole at Books Complete Me (Tens List)
Friday, 10/28: Reagan at Star Shadow Blog (Review)

Shutupshutup SHUT UP!

16 Sep

Sooo…The Book Tour.

Okay, so there isn’t really a “tour.” Yet. I mean, there’s a blog tour in October, which is no sweat; I’m great at being humorous and understood via the written word!

(Oh, here’s a bit of free advice from…from a “friend” who also “writes”: don’t go into a book blogger Twitter chat and cleverly/sarcastically tweet, “Hey guys! You wanna review my book? KIDDING! Kidding. Really. Kidding.” Because no matter how funny you think you’re being, everyone else will think you’re an ass. But maybe if you put a winky face after it, it would’ve gone over better….? Hmmm….I’ll have to suggest that to “my friend.”)

But a real life tour? Like, with talking and whatever?

Terr. I. Fy. Ing.

Yes, a small tour is “in the works” (hometown, I’m looking at you), but so far even the one scheduled appearance is enough to wake me up in a cold sweat. Literally. And I know people say literally when they mean figuratively, but I meant literally. Let me explain.

I went to a YA book reading on Tuesday (Gregg Olsen and his Empty Coffin series) and then a poetry reading on Wednesday (Jessica Lamb), to see the “book event spectrum” (in this case, exuberant vs. profound).

I left each feeling nervous and excited–and with a slight facial tic. Yeah, sure. I can do this. Then, last night I dreamt [see, this is where I bring it back to the whole literally thing I started out rambling about; see how great I'll be at a blog tour? AMAZING!!] that I was in the audience at the circus (it had to be a circus, right?), knowing I had to stand up and give a talk in front of everyone. I was whispering to a friend about how nervous I was–and suddenly, the spotlight swings around to me, so everyone can see me. Then the ringmaster is shouting at me to shut up. And then, like I wrote it myself, he gets the entire audience to chant, “Shut up, shut up! Shutupshutup SHUT UP!”

So I’m thrown out of sleep at 2AM, in that literal cold sweat, unable to stop the chanting of shut up in my head.

And that’s with only ONE reading planned.

(I really wish I had some sort of mascot uniform to put on so I could just come and nod and wave instead of having to answer, “Where did the idea come from?”)

With that vision still fresh in my fearful mind, I’m working on my author routine. A “schtick”. Channeling fun and adventurous Teacher Miss Molly! Brave and fearless Camp Counselor Cricket! Molly E. Johnson who got up the guts to jump off of this last weekend. (No, that’s not me; I’m not a twenty year old man. Also, I swear the lake must be lower because the swing is really much higher than this video shows.) I think the “schtick” might involve some stuff I learned from Houdini. That way, I’ll at the very least get to hide in a box for a few minutes of the talk.

All that being said, clear your calendars for Monday, November 7, 2011! It’ll be entertaining, no matter whether I implode, get stuck in a box…or pull through.

P.S. If anyone shouts “shut up” at my book reading, just to give a nod to my blog (which would be, in a way, also a nod to IHateBartholomewsCircus.com…) I will throw my shoe at you. If I do so, it’s with utter respect that you read my blog…and with faked anger so I can save face. Thank you.

P.P.S. Bought a copy of Envy at the Powell’s reading; book review coming in a few weeks!

Things are going to start happening to me—now.

7 Jul

“This is the kind of spontaneous publicity that makes people!”

–Navin R. Johnson

Lots of Spartacus-related awesomeness happening! Well, three things. Count them:

  1. I got a request to do a reading at my alma mater. I know; I was shocked, too. (I hope this isn’t a trap about my student loans.) Come see me at Linfield in November. Date TBA.
  2. I heard back from Columbia Records—guess who rewrote herself from a direct quote from Sympathy for the Devil to parody? Yes’m. Me. It was just enough to save me a cool half-thou. Sweet, sweet ‘Stones, I love you so. I promise not to abuse the rights granted.
  3. AND!!!!! I got my first review as a result of my ARC. Holy holy holy crap. Someone out there is actually reading this besides myself! (Personally, I’m flipping through my own ARC every night, going “HA! Good one, author. Very very clever, you.” And then I pat myself on the back.)

So so so so excited to see what’s happening next! Keep your eyes peeled for…well, whatever is happening next. Like, say, THE BIG COVER REVEAL!!! OMG, I can’t wait.